Mission Statement
The mission of the Peabody Museum is to serve Yale University by advancing our understanding of earth's history through geological, biological, and anthropological research, and by communicating the results of this research tot he widest possible audience through publication, exhibition, and educational programs. Fundamental to this mission is stewardship of the Museum's rich collections which provide a remarkable record of the history of the earth, its life, and its cultures. Conservation, augmentation, and use of these collections become increasingly urgent as modern threats to the diversity of life and culture continue to intensify. Approved by the Corporation of Yale University, 25 February 1995.
Description
The Peabody Museum of Natural History was founded in 1866 and contains one of the great scientific collections in North America. These include more than 11 million objects representing specimens and artifacts in biology, paleontology, botany, geology, anthropology, and historical scientific instruments. The collections offer crucial keys to the history of the earth, its life forms, and its people, and in some cases offer the only surviving traces of animals, plants and cultures that have disappeared. The Peabody Museum's internationally-known vertebrate paleontology collection includes Deinonychus antirrhopus, discovered by Yale's John H. Ostrom, along with fossils collected and named by O. C. Marsh-"Brontosaurus," Stegosaurus, and Triceratops, to name a few. On view in the Great Hall, these dramatic skeletal fossils are displayed against the backdrop of the great Pulitzer-award winning mural The Age of Reptiles by Rudolph Zallinger (1943-1947). Throughout the Museum are exhibits that provide insights into the cultures, beliefs, world views and daily lives of peoples from around the world and include objects drawn from the cultures of the Northwest Coast, the Arctic and Sub-Arctic, the North American Plains, the Southwest, Polynesia and New Guinea, and the area from Mexico to Peru. Daily Life in Ancient Egypt showcases a dramatic look inside a 7th century BC tomb, a unique view of a desert burial, and world-renowned objects that reveal the everyday life of a long-lived civilization that never ceases to fascinate. Other exhibits feature gems and minerals, meteorites and other treasures, a Saber-toothed cat from the LaBrea Tar Pits, a giant Mastodon, and an 11,000-year-old ground sloth bearing traces of the animal's skin and hair. The Hall of Connecticut Birds is a comprehensive collection of the state's avian species. Eleven spectacular dioramas provide a unique vision of the natural world. Special exhibits, plus events and programs are held througout the year. Open: Monday-Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday, noon to 5:00 PM. The Museum is wheelchair accessible. The Museum Shop, open until 4:45 pm, carries a wide selection of gifts, T-shirts, books, and toys, and is open during regular museum hours. Special events and programs for adults and families are held throughout the year. Discovery Room for Children is open during regular Museum hours. Closed: January 1; Easter Sunday; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; December 24, 25, 31 Admission: $5.00 adults; $3.00 senior citizens (65+) and children (3-15) Parking: Visitor parking is available in a specially designated area within Yale Lot 22. The lot is accessible from Whitney Avenue, one block north of the Museum (intersection of Whitney and Humphrey Streets). Groups: For information and reservations call the Public Education Department at (203) 432-3775 on Monday-Friday from 9:00 am to noon.
