Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum

The Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum is a research collection at the University of Montana housing approximately 22,000 preserved animal specimens. The collection includes mammals, birds, and fish specimens, primarily from the northern Rocky Mountains region.

The museum was established in 1897 by Morton Elrod, the first biology professor at the University of Montana. The collection grew from an ornithology teaching collection that had begun in 1880.

The collection documents how animal populations in the Rocky Mountains have changed over time through preserved specimens. Visitors can see which species inhabited the region and how their numbers shifted across different periods.

The museum is located on the second floor of the Health Sciences building on the university campus. Group visits and tours should be arranged in advance to access the collection.

The collection includes rare specimens from distant locations, such as an Emperor penguin from Antarctica and animal specimens from Leningrad dating to 1851. These objects reveal how researchers were gathering samples from around the world during the 1800s.

Location: Montana

Website: https://hs.umt.edu/umzm

GPS coordinates: 46.85830,-113.98600

Latest update: December 14, 2025 17:43