About the Museum
The Georgia Museum of Natural History links collections, research, public service, and education
through programs designed for a diverse audience. Natural history museums are repositories for
collections of archaeological, biological, geological, and paleontological materials. For the
most part, such collections consist of specimens or artifacts gathered so that they may be
studied by students and professionals or displayed for public edification. At The University of
Georgia, faculty, staff, and students have built significant collections in natural history
through their research. Taken together, they are the most comprehensive in Georgia. These
collections play an important role in the teaching mission of the University as well as in
public service and outreach.
The Georgia Museum of Natural History is a consortium consisting of 14 important natural history
collections.
These collections are supported by six departments at the University of Georgia:
Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Geography, Geology, and Plant Pathology. Each collection is
the largest of its kind in Georgia. The collections are primarily administered and supported by
their academic departments and colleges. Public service, outreach, and some administrative
programs fall under the Office of Director of the Museum and five collections are supported by
the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
The Museum has four primary roles: