Exhibits

Rock and Fossil Room

First to open in the new museum space is our Rock and Fossil Room which underwent a complete transformation from its old displays. We’ve curated these new rocks and fossil displays from around the world to help people learn about the story of the earth.

Our displays are organized to help visitors learn about the beginning of the earth, volcanoes, the rock cycle, gems and minerals, and the evolution of life. Our fossil displays are from the Paleozoic to the Holocene, and include authentic fossils and replicas.  

Fossil specimens of leaves
Haertel Mineral Collection
In 1989, Mr. And Mrs. George Haertel of Stevens Point donated more than 1,000 rocks and minerals to the UWSP Museum of Natural History.

The Museum houses multiple specimens from Krukowski Quarry in central Wisconsin. There are items from the Morrison formation in Utah, the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, the Sentinel Butte formation in North Dakota, the Green River Formation in Colorado, and the Mazon Creek fossil beds in Illinois. We also have fossils and replicas from Arizona, Texas, Wyoming, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kansas, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, California, Canada, Scotland, China, Germany, Morocco, Madagascar, and Colombia. 

Discovery Room

A space for educational tools, sensory activities. This is an all-ages museum space for hands-on science! Some of the opportunities include touch tables, microscopes, clay, and fossil rubbings.

Future Exhibit Space