Brenna Patrick
Staff Writer
The Idaho Museum of Natural History includes extensive collections of artifacts that are permanent as well as special collections within three main gallery exhibits. It contains specimens that include ancient invertebrates which can traced back to 400 million years ago.
Open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is only $5 for adults and $1 for kids K-12. Located right next to Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union Building (PSUB), the museum offers volunteer opportunities, various activities and guided tours to anyone who wants to deepen their cultural enrichment.
The three main collections are Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Life Sciences that include everything from items from the Snake River Plain to a mammoth excavation exhibit.
The new display, “Native Words, Native Warriors,” is presently being showcased in the gallery. It includes the history of Native American code talkers in the World Wars. The display will be shown until Sept. 29.
The exhibit is on loan from the Smithsonian, said Senior Collections Manager Mary Thompson.
Thompson added that the museum now holds a 260 million year old shark called a helicoprion, which will reside in the museum until the end of the year.
All new exhibits were able to come about due to the museum’s recent renovations earlier this summer from April until June.
The entire building had major interior reconstruction done, said Thompson.
“We took everything down. We put in all new carpet, all new walls, all new paint and all new exhibits with a very extensive remodel of the gallery,” Thompson said.
Thompson has been with the museum since 1990 and received her master’s degree and Ph.D. at ISU in paleontology research. Currently, she teaches an Urban Osteology class at the museum, which is the study of identifying the bones of different animals.
Several classes and guides can be found at the museum year-round. There are usually one or two classes a week and people “come from all over,” Thompson said.
For schools that are unable to come to the museum, it has a traveling program so the museum can go to others. This way they may experience everything the museum has to offer in other places.
Volunteer opportunities can also be found within the walls of the museum.
“There are a lot of volunteers. You could be working the gallery tour guide or in the archives. Volunteers help out in myriad roles including serving as docents, teaching educational programs, helping in the office, processing and cataloging the collections and serving on advisory boards and committees,” Thompson said.
“There is a multitude of volunteer of experiences. Docents help us run classes for school groups in the gallery,” added Thompson.
Career Path Interns (CPIs) often are selected to work there. Currently there are four working in Thompson’s department. Approximately 10 CPIs work in the museum in total.
Students may also apply to the museum for a work study position. Museum studies classes and independent projects are also offered, said Thompson.
For more information about the exhibits and upcoming events or for contact information go to http://imnh.isu.edu/home/.
