Cole Museum of Zoology

The Cole Museum of Zoology is a zoological collection at the University of Reading housing approximately 4000 specimens. The animals are displayed in 14 cases and represent many different animal groups from around the world.

Professor Francis Cole founded this collection in 1906 at University College Reading and developed it over several decades. The collection grew through his research and acquisitions until the late 1930s.

The collection reflects how naturalists gathered animal specimens to understand living creatures across the globe. These materials remain central to how the university teaches biology to its students today.

The museum is located on the ground floor of the Health and Life Sciences building at Whiteknights Campus. It is best to check opening hours beforehand, as they may vary depending on the academic calendar.

The collection includes the skeleton of a male Indian circus elephant and the skeleton of a reticulated python measuring about 5 meters with 400 individual vertebrae. These two specimens stand out for showing the extreme variety in animal size and body structure.

Website: http://colemuseum.rdg.ac.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.44198,-0.94506

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:44