University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall

06/18/2026

Curious Curator Cafe has been open for over a year! We have loved making delicious drinks for you this past year, whether you needed a pick-me-up to do homework or something to sip after walking around the museum. Thank you to everyone who has visited the cafe this year, and for those of you who haven't, come get some fossils and fuel! ☕️🦴

06/17/2026

Our sister site, Trailside Museum has reopened today. Staff are continuing to monitor the South Fork Fire, and should situations change, we'll let everyone know. Thank you to all the first responders who have or are currently assisting with fighting the fire.

06/16/2026

Happy ! Today we want to spotlight a collaboration between UNSM’s entomology and botany departments. Our entomology collection curator is currently working on a weevil project. Weevils are one of the largest groups of beetles, with around 97000 species known. Since weevil species are often very similar but specialize on different plants, identifying the host plant is very helpful when identifying weevils. This is where our botany curator comes in and classifies the host plants collected by entomology. This weevil was found on a blue sage plant identified as, Salvia azurea var. grandiflora, which helped classify the weevil as Pseudobaris farcta. This collaboration between departments helps our curators find more awesome specimens to share with you!

06/15/2026

Happy ! Today we want to give a shoutout to UNSM Zoology Curator, Rob Wilson, who recently co-authored a study investigating the origins of the Lincoln, Neb. population of southern flying squirrels. The species is a "Tier-1" species of conservation concerns (Nebraska Threatened Species) due to its small population size and limited distribution in the state. Although more work needs to be done, the study results suggest the Lincoln southern flying squirrel represents a range expansion. Some of UNSM's collection specimens were used as part of the study.

The full study can be read at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10592-026-01792-9

06/14/2026

It's Morrill Hall's Birthday! 🎉

Morrill Hall is 99 years old today. On June 14, 1871 the University of Nebraska Board of Regents voted to provide monetary support for a scientific cabinet, which started very small. Some decades later, Morrill Hall opened in 1927. The museum now has over 13 million specimens and artifacts. Check out these throwbacks and see how the museum has changed over these 99 years. We can't wait to see what's in store for University of Nebraska State Museum in the years to come.

Happy Birthday!

06/13/2026

Reminder that there no parking in the Morrill Hall lot today. The lot outside the museum, including our museum metered spots will be closed for the Savannah Bananas game at Memorial Stadium.

Check here for additional parking info: https://museum.unl.edu/morrill/visit/parking-directions/

06/12/2026

This week, we had guest researcher, Dr. David Lambert, visit from the University of Texas at Tyler and All Saints Episcopal School. Dr. Lambert is visiting Morrill Hall to get a closer look at gomphotheres. Gomphotheres were one of America's most ancient elephants, known for their four tusks and high crowned teeth. Their shovel-like lower tusks allowed them to plow through the lush vegetation they inhabited.

If you want to learn more about these ancient elephant relatives, come see them for yourself at Morrill Hall. Happy !

06/12/2026

This Friday through Sunday we will only have parking in our east side Morrill Hall spots. The remainder of the lot outside the museum, including our museum metered spots will be closed for the Savannah Bananas preparation and game at Memorial Stadium.

For additional parking info go to https://museum.unl.edu/morrill/visit/parking-directions/

06/11/2026

This we are taking a look at two framed pieces of Australian Aboriginal art. Dot paintings are a style of Aboriginal art that was popularized in the 1970s. These new canvas paintings are part of a tradition that has included cave, sand, and bark paintings. The dots, lines, and animal figures tell visual stories. The two paintings here were made in 1995. The first is “Women Dancing West of Yuendumu” by Audrey Nugarrai. The second is “Roo Spirit Dreaming” by Amy Gunawaari.

06/11/2026

Our sister site Trailside Museum is closed until further notice due to the South Fork Fire. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff and their families. We will provide updates on the museum when we have more information.

Trailside Museum is closed until further notice due to the South Fork Fire. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff and their families. We will provide updates on the museum when we have more information.