Our new, interactive exhibits tell the story of our world and what we know about it. Visit iconic specimens from the old museum, touch real specimens, and use our high tech tools to take an even closer look!
More than 40 U-M faculty and community experts contributed to the new exhibits, which feature iconic specimens from the old museum along with new specimens, and more interactive, hands-on, and minds-on experiences than before.
On the Trail of the Mastodons
The only place in the world you can see a male and female mastodon skeleton side by side and a mastodon trackway! Step into a real mastodon footprint and touch a cast replica of an eight-foot mastodon tusk.
Prehistoric Whales
Impressive in their own right, the skeletons of these ocean giants are also evidence of one of evolution's biggest surprises: their ancestors lived on land!
Quetzalcoatlus
Imagine a time on Earth when enormous flying reptiles swooped, dipped, and dove overhead. Then step into our West Atrium to feel what that was like, as the life-size reconstruction of a Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur stares you down on the bridge over our atrium.
Science at Work: Fossil Prep Lab
Peer into the fascinating, meticulous process of preparing fossils from around the world for study and display.
Marquee Gallery - Bonaparte
This playful, multimedia work by local artist Mark Tucker celebrates the scientific process, as well as the relationship between some of Earth's largest and smallest life forms. (It's also a really cool papier-mâché dinosaur skeleton!)
Evolution: Life Through Time
Journey through four billion years of life on Earth to learn how the first organisms changed our world and how evolution connects all living things. Study real specimens and dig deep through the fossil record, while exploring the five major extinctions and how life persisted through them all.
Planetarium Dome & Theater
See the night sky — and more — like never before, with enhanced brilliance, clarity, and detail! Our state-of-the-art Planetarium & Dome Theater brings new perspectives to even the most familiar celestial bodies, constellations, and phenomena, from the Big Dipper to the northern lights. Tickets required.
Tree of Life
Explore the connections between all living things with our new, interactive, multimedia Tree of Life exhibit. (Hint: it's in their DNA!)
Measuring Time and Space
Investigate the ways scientists measure the natural world with hands-on activities that are fun for all ages. Zoom through the universe, from atoms and particles to distant galaxies and star clusters and back. Then measure your height in turtles, cats, and penguins!
Dynamic Planet
Our Earth Science gallery is a lot more than rocks! Learn how our planet formed; how its atmosphere, water, and lifeforms changed it over time; and what's going on below its surface. Then see and touch the wide range of specimens in our collection of rocks, minerals, and crystals.
Science at Work: Biodiversity Lab
Watch researchers study the genomes of different species and populations to make new discoveries about life and how it works!
Science Forum
The new Science Forum will bring visitors face-to-face with scientists, providing an informal space for scientist presentations, films, discussions, and more!
Collections Case
Check out our rotating exhibits highlighting the university's extensive research collections in fields including paleontology, botany, zoology, and more. Learn the science behind these collections and how technology enables today's researchers to learn more than ever from the collections.
Student Showcase
Our new Student Showcase features research projects by U-M undergraduate and graduate students working in a variety of disciplines.
The Larsen Family Mineral Display
Highlighting the alliance between the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum at Michigan Tech University, this case features their shared research, as well as striking mineral specimens you don't see just every day.
Under the Microscope
This interactive, multimedia exploration of life's building blocks will literally walk visitors through a giant model cell, as they learn about what makes life possible, and how the body develops and functions after birth.
Exploring Michigan
Celebrate our state's rich geological formations, awe-inspiring prehistoric life forms, and diverse ecosystems in the Exploring Michigan exhibit. Large scale dioramas highlight our varied habitats and wildlife, and hands-on activities engage kids—and curious people—of all ages.
People and the Planet
Learn how humans impact the natural world, and how the environment and available natural resources shape human culture, with insights from environmentalists, ecologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and climatologists.
Investigate Lab: Nature
See and touch real specimens, then learn more by using their built-in smart tags to access the digital information table for a closer look at what they are, where they came from, and more!
Investigate Lab: Micro Worlds
As you journey through the microscopic world, take your own look through a real microscope in our new public lab space.
Research Stations
Learn about current research projects by U-M faculty at bright maize kiosks throughout the museum.
Biological Sciences Building, 1105 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1085
ummnh.info@umich.edu | 734-764-0478
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