Bell Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Minnesota campus

The Bell Museum of Natural History is located on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. The mission of the museum is to advance the quest to discover life in its many forms and inspire curiosity and delight of the natural world. The museum aims to collect, preserve, prepare, display and interpret the diverse animal and plant life in the state of Minnesota for research and teaching.

By collecting and researching the plant and animal life allow more information for exhibits and public outreach programs. This synergy is only available as a campus such as University of Minnesota and distinguishes the museum as an institution, which maintains excellent collections, produces timely, cutting edge research, teaches new generations of natural history experts, is able to educate visitors through learning opportunities, and to serve teachers and students in the community through outreach programs.

The museum is a small place with big ideas, a historic state treasure and landmark destination. The museum caters for all ages to provide them with the opportunity to understand their place in this ever-changing world. To teach students the museum offers tours, learning kits that include hands-on activities, science workshops, travelling exhibits and training programs for teachers.

There are around 4 million specimens at the museum of mammals, birds, fish, plants, mollusks and insects, which provide scientists with research and learning. This is the largest collection, which documents the biodiversity of Minnesota, along with collections from around the world. The scientists work in many different places, such as the treetops of Papua New Guinea, in the rivers of Minnesota and the capitals of Europe.

The collections at the museum include; amphibians and reptiles, birds, fish, fungi, lichens, insects, invertebrates, mammals and vascular plants. Scientists at the museum track habitat change and the consequence to help conserve and protect plants, animals and their environments. The museum also has an art collection with over 1,400 pieces and nature documentaries from as far back as the 1920's.

Permanent exhibits at the museum include dioramas - two floors of diorama exhibits. The West Gallery has artworks and travelling exhibits from all over the world, the touch and see room allows children to get up close and personal with nature and the Rainforest exhibit shows visitors the rainforest canopy from two aerial walkways.

The touch and see room began in 1968 when Richard Barthelemy realized that young visitors wanted to touch all the exciting stuff. He sat with groups and passed around bones, furs and feathers and talked about them, a new wing was built at the museum and half that space was used for the Touch and See Room.

The museum is able to host events such as receptions, meeting and campus/departmental events in one of their `wild places' rooms - North Woods Hall/Prairie Hall or the Auditorium. North Woods can host up to 250 people in a cocktail style, the auditorium can host up to 350 in seating only. Catering is able to be arranged for both areas along with tables, chairs and audio visual equipment.