[2][3] It was formed to support the work of the university and is also known for hosting the Great Lakes Quilt Center.

[4] The MSU museum natural science collections include mammalogy, ornithology, herpetology, ichthyology, and vertebrate paleontology.

[5] The MSU Museum’s archaeological collection, consisting of well over a million artifacts, emphasizes Michigan archaeology, with a geographic focus on the Lower Peninsula and the pre-contact eastern Upper Peninsula.

This includes a robust assemblage from the Saginaw Basin, Traverse Corridor, and eastern Upper Peninsula of Native American artifacts, as well as historical fort site collections from Michigan’s early colonial history.

Noteworthy sites from the MSU campus, such as Saint’s Rest, are also included.