Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the walls of The Nat? The building looks bigger from the outside than inside because it holds nearly 9 million specimens—animals, plants, fossils, shells, insects and spiders, minerals, and gems—in storage areas underground and behind gallery walls. The specimens in the Museum’s holdings, which are meticulously preserved and catalogued, are curated by several departments that comprise the Jacobs Center for Science and Conservation.
Some specimens in our collection are from far-flung corners of the world, but most are from Southern California and Baja California peninsula. The Nat’s scientists use them to learn how nature is changing in our region and how we can protect it.
You can see some of these incredible objects on Level 3 of the Museum. Check out the cases that reveal how specimens support vital research. For example, flat-tailed horned lizards in our collection are helping scientists pinpoint the most critical habitats to protect, while Quino checkerspot butterflies serve as essential training tools for researchers learning to locate them out in nature.
