Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution

Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) has outstanding programs in research, collections, publications, and public education.
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The Museum of the Earth and the Cayuga Nature Center are the public education venues for PRI. PRI cares for a collection of nearly seven million specimens (one of the 10 largest in the U.S.), and publishes Bulletins of American Paleontology, the oldest paleontological journal in the Western Hemisphere, begun in 1895. PRI is a national leader in the development of informal (i.e., outside the classr

oom) Earth science education resources for educators and the general public. PRI’s Museum of the Earth was established in 2003 to provide the general public with a unique opportunity to explore our world through a mix of natural history displays, interactive science features, and art exhibitions. The museum’s 8,000-square-foot permanent exhibition takes visitors on a journey through 4.5 billion years of history, from the Earth’s origin to the present day. PRI is separate from, but formally affiliated with nearby Cornell University, and interact closely with numerous University departments in research, teaching, and public outreach.

SIGN UP FOR A FREE CLASS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES!June 9, 2026 | 6 pm | Museum of the EarthWith sev...
05/27/2026

SIGN UP FOR A FREE CLASS TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES!

June 9, 2026 | 6 pm | Museum of the Earth

With severe weather events becoming more frequent and more extreme, it is more important than ever that New Yorkers are prepared for disasters. The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to normal conditions.

Each family that attends will receive one FREE preparedness kit.

Registration is required to attend this event. Register here: https://pspapps.dhses.ny.gov/CitizenPreparednessCorps/views/registrant/add.xhtml?lang=en&eventId=688

All hail the coming of Cecil the Coelophysis! Returning to bask in the admiration of his adoring fans, you can see Cecil...
05/25/2026

All hail the coming of Cecil the Coelophysis! Returning to bask in the admiration of his adoring fans, you can see Cecil in the Ithaca Festival Parade this Thursday, May 28, 6 PM.

And if you would like to march with him (and our staff of course), meet us on West Jay St (between Cayuga and Auburn) between 5:30 and 5:45 pm.

Finally, to give Cecil enough time to get to the parade, the Museum will be closing early at 4 pm. See you there!

Just a note, Museum of the Earth *will* be open for Memorial Day on Monday during our regularly scheduled hours (10 am ...
05/23/2026

Just a note, Museum of the Earth *will* be open for Memorial Day on Monday during our regularly scheduled hours (10 am to 5 pm). If you plan to be in Ithaca for the long weekend, stop by the Museum and say hi (to our lovely visitor services staff and to all our specimens)!

Happy Friday! Did you find a rock in your backyard that you think might be a fossil? We're here to help! Bring your foss...
05/22/2026

Happy Friday! Did you find a rock in your backyard that you think might be a fossil? We're here to help! Bring your fossil in tomorrow (or any other Saturday) for help identifying your fossil. Dr. Maureen Bickley will be working in the Prep Lab and is happy to assist you! 🪨🦴🦖

As many of you know, PRI had a tough year financially last year, and thanks to the incredibly generous donations we rece...
05/21/2026

As many of you know, PRI had a tough year financially last year, and thanks to the incredibly generous donations we received, we were able to weather the storm! One of the local organizations that monumentally helped us in our time of need was the Community Foundation of Tompkins County. We wanted to give them a special shout-out and thank them for all they do!

Happy World Bee Day!!! Check out our online “Bees! Diversity, Evolution, Conservation” exhibit here: https://www.museumo...
05/20/2026

Happy World Bee Day!!! Check out our online “Bees! Diversity, Evolution, Conservation” exhibit here: https://www.museumoftheearth.org/bees/

Hope you have a bee-autiful day, and keep bee-ing yourself! Hope to see you at the Museum soon. 🐝 🌻 🍯

In the third part of our Salmon Creek Field Guide mini-series, we wanted to highlight a type of fossil you can find in o...
05/19/2026

In the third part of our Salmon Creek Field Guide mini-series, we wanted to highlight a type of fossil you can find in our area: trilobites! Find the Field Guide here: https://earthathome.org/finger-lakes-geology/salmon-creek-field-guide/

Reminder: Please hold off on walking through the creek now, as there is too much rushing water! 💧🌊

Happening today at 3 at the Cayuga Nature Center Lodge!
05/18/2026

Happening today at 3 at the Cayuga Nature Center Lodge!

Come to the Cayuga Nature Center today at 3 pm for a Tree Buds Phenology Walk hosted by Ingrid Zabel! Get out and enjoy the spring wildlife! 🌳🌲🍃

The Museum of the Earth will be closed on Monday, May 18 due to the extreme temperature in the museum. We will reopen fo...
05/18/2026

The Museum of the Earth will be closed on Monday, May 18 due to the extreme temperature in the museum. We will reopen for regular hours on Thursday, May 21.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

The Museum of the Earth will be closing at 1:30pm on Sunday, May 17 due to extreme heat in the Museum today.
05/17/2026

The Museum of the Earth will be closing at 1:30pm on Sunday, May 17 due to extreme heat in the Museum today.

Address

1259 Trumansburg Road (Route 96)
Ithaca, NY
14850

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16072736623

Website

https://www.museumoftheearth.org/, https://earthathome.org/, https://www.cayuganaturecenter.org/

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