Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum facts for kids

The Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum (UMZM) is a special place at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. It's like a huge library, but instead of books, it holds a massive collection of animal specimens! You can find it on the second floor of the Health Sciences building.

Discover the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum

The UMZM is the biggest animal collection of its kind in this part of the country. Its main job is to be a research center for students and teachers at the university. But it also welcomes visitors! You can take tours if you're a hobbyist, or if you're part of a school or educational group.

What's Inside the Museum?

The museum has an amazing collection of animals. Imagine this:

• Over 14,500 mammals (like bears, deer, and small rodents!)
• About 7,000 birds (from tiny hummingbirds to large eagles!)
• Around 3,200 fish (all kinds of fish from local rivers and beyond!)

This makes it the largest museum of its type between Eastern Washington University and Minneapolis, Minnesota. It also has one of the best collections of Northern Rocky Mountain wildlife in the entire world! The museum studies and keeps records of animals that live here. But it also has many specimens from all over the globe. The oldest one dates all the way back to 1851, from a place called Leningrad, Russia (now St. Petersburg).

The Brain Scoop and More

In 2012, a volunteer named Emily Graslie started a video series on YouTube called The Brain Scoop. She used the museum's specimens to teach people about animals in a fun way. Her show became very popular! Later, The Brain Scoop moved to the Field Museum in Chicago.

A Look at the Museum's History

The University of Montana started collecting animal specimens way back in the 1890s. Important people like Morton J. Elrod helped build this collection. He was a founding biologist and professor at the university. He also started the Flathead Lake Biological Research Station in 1899.

Who Was Philip L. Wright?

On September 1, 1939, Dr. Philip L. Wright took charge of the museum. He was very dedicated to growing the collection. He worked hard until he passed away in 1997. That same year, the university honored his efforts by renaming the museum after him. It became the Philip L. Wright Zoological Museum.

For a long time, David L. Dyer was the curator (the person in charge of the collection). Now, Dr. Angela Hornsby became the curator in July 2019. Many dedicated volunteers also help keep the museum running!