Affiliate Profile
The MSU Museum is one of the earliest established museums in the nation and has continued to preserve collections and serve learners since its opening on the campus in 1857. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and was the first museum in the state to receive Smithsonian affiliate status. The MSU Museum is a registered scientific institution with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and a partner with the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs in select statewide programs.
The MSU Museum is a public steward for nearly a million objects and specimens in Anthropology, Natural Science, Folk Arts, and History from around the world. The collections provide the foundation for research, education, and outreach both locally and internationally. The Museum cultivates and maintains interdisciplinary linkages across campus, particularly in college-based programs in the sciences, arts and humanities, and international studies.
The Museum reaches a broad and diverse audience through strong, varied, and accessible collections, field- and collections-based research, public service and education programs, traveling exhibits, and innovative partnerships with local, regional, statewide, national, and international organizations and institutions.