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Collections

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Treasures from across the world and throughout time

A significant part of the Museum’s collection of more than 700,000 artifacts and specimens pertain to the Greater Niagara Region and form a record of life in all of its forms in anthropology, botany, geology, and zoology. The collection provides a representation of the present and past natural and cultural history of the Niagara Frontier and adjacent Ontario, as well as material of worldwide provenance of value in teaching, exhibition, and research.

The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences has been collecting since 1861. The results are housed in six curatorial divisions; Anthropology, Botany, Geology, Vertebrate Zoology, Invertebrate Zoology, and Special Collections. As an AAM accredited institution, we are committed to the care and management of the Museum’s accessioned collections, which are held in perpetuity.

In addition to the Research Collection of c. 700,000 belongings, objects, and specimens, the Museum also houses a Teaching Collection of c. 5,000 objects, which is used for hands on programming, travel to schools, workshops, and use by the general public. Appointments to access the collection can be made through the Collections Team. Research inquiries are welcomed through our online form.

Want to know more about how a museum cares for its collection? Check our events calendar for upcoming Collections Live! programs (included with admission) to meet the staff and volunteers and learn what it takes to look after such a diverse array of materials.

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