Burpee Museum of Natural History maintains a diverse permanent collection comprised of over 70,000 Paleontology, Geology, Biology and Anthropology specimens which are housed within the Robert Solem Wing of Burpee Museum. The collections focus on the natural history of the Rock River Valley region but contain comparative material from all over North America and the world. Many specimens from Burpee Museum’s permanent collections have been cited in the scientific and popular literature. The collections are available for study to qualified researchers.

Burpee Museum’s Collections and Research staff are working to develop a world class collection to be used for education, exhibition and research.

Paleontology Collections

The Paleontology Collections are comprised of over 30,000 cataloged specimens or suites of specimens, collected from all over North America. They are an outstanding asset of the museum and include rare type and figured specimens. The paleontology collections are considered by many leading authorities to be scientific treasures of national and international significance. The paleontology collections are divided into plant, invertebrate and vertebrate specimens. Highlights include: an extensive collection of Mazon Creek fossils (including fossil plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) of Pennsylvanian age (300 million years old) and a diverse collection of Ordovician (455 million years old) invertebrate fossils from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Burpee Museum also houses an extensive collection of fossil vertebrates from the late Cretaceous (65-67 mya) Hell Creek Formation of Southeastern Montana and, in 2008, museum researchers initiated paleontological field work in the world famous Morrison Formation (late Jurassic in age) of Southeastern Utah. Burpee Museum also houses a collection of fossil vertebrates from the classic White River Badlands of South Dakota.