Research & Collections | Natural History Museum

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Research and Collections

Photograph of Butterfly specimens in the NHM collection

Our Collections

NHM has, wait for it, 35 million real objects and artifacts. Explore them online!

See what we've got

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Our Research

There are dozens of scientists and historians on staff, protecting our records of the planet, and making new discoveries all the time.

What our experts are up to

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Our Staff

Meet scientists and historians

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Our Departments

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Opportunities

Recent highlights

Research and Collections

Research and Collections

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Bison Teeth 3D Model Close Up for Header Image

Sample Tar Pits' Paleo Diets

Gnawing questions answered with fossilized teeth

Candy Darter – Etheostoma osburn for featured image

Fishes Across America: Last Stop, Roanoke

Say hello to a Hog Sucker (and a couple Darters)

Hummingbird, tree, photography

Three Horned Larks, Two Spotted Doves and a Seasonal Community Science Tradition

The history and value of North America’s longest running community science project: the Christmas Bird Count

Male walruses relaxing

Walruses: On the Tusk of Greatness

With the discovery of the oldest tusked walrus yet, NHM scientists are getting to the root of the walrus’ long tooth.

fundulus_parvipinnis_header_fishtrip_midwest

Fishes Across America: Into the Midwest

Look out! Killifish coming through

Bridgelip sucker header

Fishes Across America: Shoshone, Idaho

A different Shoshone, a different sucker: Catostomus columbianus, the bridgelip sucker

Our positions, policies, and processes

Our collections operations are governed by our institutional collections policies.

To request a loan or plan a visit to the collections, please contact the department that holds the materials you’re interested in using.

Statement on Evolution
Statement on Climate Change

Our Research Departments

Our Research Departments

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