The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History is a museum of natural history in Boulder, Colorado. With more than four million artifacts and specimens in the areas of anthropology, botany, entomology, paleontology and zoology, the museum houses one of the most extensive and respected natural history collections in the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions, making it one of the top university natural science museums in the country. In 2003, the University of Colorado Museum received accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, an honor achieved by only 18 of 500 university natural history museums and only 5% of all 17,500 US museums.The museum was founded in 1902, when Judge Junius Henderson was appointed its first curator.The University of Colorado Museum fosters exploration and appreciation of the natural environment and human cultures through research, teaching, and community outreach. It also provides academic training for graduate students in Museum and Field Studies; builds, conserves, and interprets research collections; and offers exhibits and educational programs for the University and the public.The University of Colorado Museum is housed on the University of Colorado Boulder campus in the Henderson Building. Admission to the Museum is free.
