Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History Landing Page Feature Image (a collage of specimens from JWPMNH including gem quality beryl crystal, an enrolled trilobite, Shelley the Glyptodon's head, Labradorite, a cone shell, a pyrite, an ammonite, a theliderma metanevra, an oeningen leaf fossil).

Tucked away in the middle of Middletown,  are roomfuls of deep time…

“… not much bigger than a large living room, [but] houses enough material for a space 10 times its size…”

Atlas Obscura, 2019

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AS THE WORLD TURNS

From the Spanish Flu to COVID-19, world wars and a new millenium, Greg the Bison (pictured to right) has seen it all. But he still loves keeping abreast of the latest happenings. Find the latest natural history news in Middletown here!

New Project: Craft Sea Critters

Check out our website, linked here!!

 

Join us in creating a Wesleyan community built crafted ocean ecosystem! Learn how to crochet sea creatures at one of our events or make one following your own design and drop it off at one of our drop boxes. The main animals building reefs in the modern world are corals, but we welcome other reef builders and dwellers, including sponges, clams, fish, sea-slugs, turtles, octopus, sharks and whatever else you can think of! Not only will our ecosystem be home to modern day ocean critters - extinct animals like ammonites, ichthyosaurs, and mosasaurs are welcome as well! Crocheted, knitted, embroidered, 3D-printed, no matter the medium all contributions to our ocean reef are welcome.

DIGITISATION UPDATES

In one semester, we have reached our 1000 lots digitised milestone. The Wesleyan Natural History Collection now has 1139 lots of specimens (and counting) digitised onto our new Specify7 online database. 

 

NEW EXHIBIT-- Wisdom Teeth in the Science Library

New exhibit alert! In the antechamber of SciLi in the Exley Science Center awaits some wisdom for you to sink your teeth into. Come and see how the giant Megalodon tooth dwarfs other teeth on the exhibit!

 

See the virtual exhibit here

 

latest COVID-19 guidelines

As of August 5th, 2021, Wesleyan University requires everyone to wear a mask in all buildings regardless of vaccination status. Please help curb the spread of the Delta variant by wearing a mask during your visit to the museum. 

 

Currently, the museum is only open to the Wesleyan community. Non-Wesleyan, fully vaccinated individuals should contact the curators for appointments.

 

Greg the Bison
Copper Beech Tree Slab

RECENT BLOG POSTS

Specify 7 Homepage

Virtual Digitisation: Specify7 Database

Virtual Digitisation: Specify7 Database by Yu Kai Tan BA’20 MA’21   If there is a hashtag that defines museum practices of the 21st century, it’d better be #digitization. With the...

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QUICK LINKS | VIRTUAL EXHIBITS

     
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