Explore Exhibits
Visit our Gallery Guide page or Download Gallery Map.
Current Exhibitions
They’re here now, but they won’t be here forever. You won’t want to miss these great temporary exhibitions. Be sure to visit the museum soon and see them before they’re gone!
Pencil these exhibition dates into your calendar to help you plan your future visits. Be sure to check back to this web page to keep up to date on what’s at the Sternberg Museum.
Age of the Dinosaur
May 15th, 2021 – September 7th, 2021
Take a step back in time with the Sternberg Museum’s new summer traveling exhibit, Age of the Dinosaur. See dinosaurs come to life through the use of animatronics and sounds. Hear the ferocious roar of a Tyrannosaurus rex or the deep bellows of an Apatosaurus. Observe a family of Chasmosaurus searching for vegetation alongside Stegosaurus and Triceratops.
For more information about Kokoro and its exhibits, visit http://kokoroexhibits.com
A Look Inside
November 1st, 2020 – September 7th, 2021
Medical Diagnostic Imaging, such as X-rays and Computed Tomography (CT) scans, have recently become more affordable and available to non-medical academic researchers. They help to answer a variety of natural history questions. Scientists can use these images to examine the internal structures of preserved specimens without damaging them. Even fossils millions of years old can have their internal structures defined. We can also appreciate these images solely for their aesthetic qualities. They present unusual and intriguing views that reveal the hidden design of the natural world.
A Look Inside was produced by the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. The exhibit is comprised of 67 x-rays and CT images of the most intriguing specimens from the Sternberg’s Zoology Collection Department. The photographs were captured by Rob Graham, a radiologic technologist and nature photographer.
Since the exhibit is intended to be a traveling exhibition, it won’t be staying at the museum for long. Visit the Sternberg Museum today to see the beautiful exhibit, before it goes on tour.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Pencil these exhibition dates into your calendar to help you plan your future visits. Be sure to check back to this web page to keep up to date on what’s at the Sternberg Museum.
Check back soon for our next traveling exhibition!
Permanent Exhibits
The Sternberg Museum of Natural History currently houses about 3 million specimens in total; representing the disciplines of paleontology, paleobotany, geology, botany, entomology, ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology, and mammalogy.
In our permanent exhibits, you will have an opportunity to view some of our specimens from our collections, including our popular specimen Fish-within-a-fish. Our five permanent exhibits are, The Fossil Gallery, Bringing Fossils to Life, Rattlerssss: From Fear to Fascination, The Ice Age Hall, and the Earth Science Hall.
The Fossil Gallery
The Fossil Gallery not only holds our popular Fish-within-a-fish specimen, but it also holds both of Kansas' state fossils, the Tylosaurus and Pteranodon. A majority of the fossils are in Kansas, giving you an idea of what kind of environment the Great Plains look like 65 million years ago.
Bringing Fossils to Life
Bringing Fossils to Life shows you the transformations that life has undertaken throughout time. With modern animals and their ancient relatives for comparisons, see the progression of evolution, and the motivations behinds these changes.
Rattlerssss: From Fear to Fascination
The Sternberg Museum has created a one-of-a-kind educational exhibit on the rattlesnakes of the United States entitled “Rattlerssss: From Fear to Fascination.” Over 40 species of rattlesnake are alive on the earth today, 22 of which occur somewhere in the United States.
This exhibit centers on the display of LIVE rattlesnakes, ranging from the gigantic Eastern Diamondback to the extremely toxic Tiger Rattlesnake. Come learn about where these snakes occur, the habitats they live in, and the unique behaviors and adaptations of each species. Check-in frequently, as the individual snakes in the display are regularly changed to show variations in color and pattern.
The Ice Age Hall
The Ice Age Hall displays prehistoric mammals as well as some modern mammals. During the Pleistocene Epoch, the earth’s climate was undertaking some major changes. With dropping temperatures and more water turning unto ice, the flora and fauna had to adjust to the new environment.
Exploring Earth Science Hall
The Exploring Earth Science Hall summarizes the work and propose of geoscience, show casing some findings by the Sternberg family and field work. It also displays our rocks, minerals and meteorites.
The Diorama
Take a step back 65 million years ago and see Kansas and Colorado during the Late Cretaceous Epoch. Dive into the Western Interior Seaway and “swim” with Xiphactinus and Tylosaurus. Hop on land and walk among the dinosaurs and animals that inhabited the shorelines of the seaway.