What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

University of Colorado Museum of Natural History

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University of Colorado Museum of Natural History

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Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10am to 4pm, with extended hours Thursday until 7pm. Neither kids nor adults will want to miss the impressive triceratops skull.

Inspirational ongoing, changing and traveling exhibits include southwestern ceramics, butterflies, fossils, stone tools and more. The museum is home to the largest natural history collection in the Rocky Mountains.

10/15/2026

Researchers from all over the world use our specimens in their studies!

The Invertebrate Zoology Collection at the Museum of Natural History is home to more than 1.4 million specimens from all major animal phyla, from parasites and jellyfish to crustaceans and starfish.

One of the collection’s strengths is mollusks, the second-largest animal group on Earth, including freshwater mussels, terrestrial slugs and marine snails.

10/13/2026

What does 150 years of Museum history look like?

At CU Boulder's Culture Crawl, our Collections Managers and Museum & Field Studies students showcased specimens and objects from each of our Museum collections!

Visitors explored the breadth of our collections and met some special guests, including Chip the Buffalo and Jean Rodeck, former board member and daughter of former Museum Director Hugo Rodeck, who shared memories of growing up at the Museum.

Take a look at some highlights from the event!

10/07/2026

Science is better when you can get up close!

Our Museum educators and Museum & Field Studies (MFS) students recently joined families at University Hill Elementary for Family STEM Night. Students had the chance to explore mammal specimens, ask questions, make observations and discover more about the natural world alongside our team.

We loved seeing so much curiosity in action and getting to bring a little bit of the Museum into the community!

10/06/2026

How many insect species are there on Earth?

For 40 years, scientists estimated about 6 million. New research from scientist Robert Colwell suggests the real number could be as high as 20 million!

Cutting-edge research is revealing a vast hidden world of insects—and showing how much biodiversity may still be waiting to be discovered.

Featuring photos from Alex Smith, Robin Chandon, Dan Janzen and Roger Blanco.

Photo 2: Remnant strangler fig tree in the rainforest along Volcán Cacao, by M. Alex Smith
Photo 3: Core Malaise trap on Volcán Cacao, used to collect insects for DNA-barcoding by M. Alex Smith
Photo 4: Co-author Daniel H. Janzen overlooking the cloud forest on Volcán Cacao, by M. Alex Smith
Photo 5: Cloud forest understory on Volcán Cacao, by M. Alex Smith
Photo 6: View from the dry forest toward Volcán Orosi and Volcán Cacao, by Roger Blanco Segura

All images were taken within Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwestern Costa Rica.

10/02/2026

Last week, we celebrated the opening of 𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 at the Museum of Natural History!

This new exhibition explores how the partnership between people and horses shaped societies around the world.

The opening brought together the researchers, artists, community partners and friends of the Museum that shaped this exhibition.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to all who helped bring 𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔 to life. We are especially grateful to First Gentleman and wildlife advocate Marlon Reis, CU Boulder Provost Dr. Ann Stevens, Denver's Ajnai Ensemble, Photographer Scott Wilson and artist Lewis TallBull.

𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 is now open at the Museum of Natural History.

Museum Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm, with extended hours Thursday until 7pm

10/02/2026

Bring your favorite preschooler for a hands-on introduction to the wonderful world of science and nature! Learn together as you examine museum specimens, create, move, and hear a story!

The program is free so stop by regularly to experience a new wonder each time! Perfect for parents, grandparents, and caregivers with children ages 2-5.

REGISTER: TINYURL.COM/MUSEUMMORNINGS

09/18/2026

Science and art!

Students discovered the wonders of the CU Museum’s Herbarium collection on a class visit with Professor Hanna Rose Shell. Professor Shell’s class, “Histories of Art and Science,” explores how artists and scientists have influenced each other throughout the years.

Did you know that our Herbarium houses over 540,000 plant specimens – and features the world’s most complete documentation of Colorado flora? We’ve been the stewards of this incredible collection for over 100 years. Visit us after the museum’s grand reopening this fall!

09/09/2026

What can fossilized p**p tell us about life millions of years ago? 💩🦖

Dr. Karen Chin studies coprolites (fossilized f***s) to uncover clues about ancient animals, their diets and the ecosystems they inhabited.

Coprolites come in an incredible range of sizes, shapes and colors. Swipe to see Dr. Chin excavating a coprolite in the field, small Cenozoic specimens measuring just 2–4 cm, and a Cretaceous dinosaur coprolite about 20 cm across.

Photos courtesy of the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and Karen Chin.

09/04/2026

Within every drawer of carefully preserved butterflies and moths is a wealth of scientific discovery. Entomology collections help researchers identify species, track biodiversity, and understand how ecosystems respond to climate change. The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History is home to more than 1 million insect specimens!

Colorado's diverse habitats support more than 250 species of butterflies and over 1,500 species of moths. Every specimen in the University of Colorado Museum's collection helps tell the story of our state's remarkable insect diversity.

Address

Henderson Building 1030 Broadway
Boulder, CO
80309

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+13034926892

Website

http://www.colorado.edu/cumuseum

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