MSU Museum

Not to be confused with Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

MSU Museum

MSU Museum Main Entrance
Location within Michigan Show map of Michigan MSU Museum (the United States) Show map of the United States
Established	1857 (1857)
Location	Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, US
Coordinates	42°43′53″N84°28′54″W / 42.7315°N 84.4816°W / 42.7315; -84.4816
Accreditation	American Alliance of Museums
Director	Devon Akmon
Curator	Julian C. Chambliss C. Kurt Dewhurst Michael Gottfried Barbara Lundrigan Marsha MacDowell Ethan Watrall Mary Worrall
Architect	Bowd–Munson Company
Website	museum.msu.edu

The Michigan State University Museum, more commonly referred to as the MSU Museum is Michigan State University's oldest museum formed in 1857. ^[1] It is the state of Michigan's first Smithsonian Affiliate. ^{[2] [3]} It was formed to support the work of the university and is also known for hosting the Great Lakes Quilt Center.

History

Past curators include J. Alan Holman.

Collections

Cultural and historical collections

The MSU museum cultural and historical collections include anthropology, folklife, cultural heritage, and history. ^[4]

Natural science collections

The MSU museum natural science collections include mammalogy, ornithology, herpetology, ichthyology, and vertebrate paleontology. ^[5]

Archaeology Collections

The MSU Museum’s archaeological collection, consisting of well over a million artifacts, emphasizes Michigan archaeology, with a geographic focus on the Lower Peninsula and the pre-contact eastern Upper Peninsula. This includes a robust assemblage from the Saginaw Basin, Traverse Corridor, and eastern Upper Peninsula of Native American artifacts, as well as historical fort site collections from Michigan’s early colonial history. Noteworthy sites from the MSU campus, such as Saint’s Rest, are also included. The archaeology collections are jointly managed and cursated by the MSU Department of Anthropology and the MSU Museum.

Exhibitions

The museum hosts exhibitions to highlight the collections and complementary programs and works some rotating some permanent spread over the three floors of the museum.

Exhibition spaces

• Habitat Hall – Various dioramas of North and Central America's environments and animals as well as dinosaurs and Jurassic dinosaur skeletons. ^[6]
• Heritage Hall – Highlights the Great Lakes region's economic history. ^[7]
• Hall of Animal Diversity – Highlights different animals and their adaptions to their habitats. ^[8]
• Collections Connections – allows visitors to see some of the cultural artifacts and natural history specimens and show how these are stored to study and preserve for the future. ^[9]
• Hall of Evolution – A timeline of fossils from the Cambrian period to the Pleistocene epoch. ^[10]
• Second floor landing – Exploring biodiversity of things big and small. It includes a skeletons of an African bush elephant as well as an Asian elephant and a skull of a Columbian mammoth. ^[11]

Recent exhibitions

• 1.5 °C – Explore the impact of climate on our planet. ^[12]
• We All Live Downwind – ^[13]
• Gameplay – Experience games developed at MSU's Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL Lab). ^[14]
• Science on a Sphere – A projection sphere of visualizations of Earth and other locations highlighting a variety of data visualizations an exhibit supported by the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ^[15]

Past exhibitions

• Kindred – featured Odawa arts and crafts including ceramics, basketry, and beadwork from the Waganakising Odawa aka Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. ^[16]
• Michigan Barns: Timber-framed, Plank and Polebarn – featured in July 1, 2003 – July 31, 2003 ^[17]

See also

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum another museum at Michigan State University.

External links

• MSU Museum Website
• Current Exhibitions
• Past Exhibitions

References

1. "About the Museum – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
2. "MSU Museum". www.lansing.org. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
3. "Affiliate Directory". Smithsonian Affiliations. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
4. "Cultural and Historical Collections – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
5. "Natural Science Collections – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
6. "Habitat Hall – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
7. "Heritage Hall – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
8. "Hall of Animal Diversity – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
9. "Collections Connections – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
10. "Hall of Evolution – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
11. "Second Floor Landing – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
12. "1.5 °C – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
13. "We All Live Downwind – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
14. "Gameplay – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
15. "Science On a Sphere – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.
16. Jokisch Polo, Michelle (May 18, 2022). "MSU Museum celebrates the work of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians". WKAR Public Media. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
17. "Michigan Barns: Timber-framed, Plank and Polebarn – MSU Museum" . Retrieved January 25, 2023.