[3] The museum includes several galleries on Iowa's geological and cultural history, biological diversity, and environmental science, spanning four floors.

[3] The museum was originally founded by order of the Iowa General Assembly as a "cabinet" in which to house specimens from the State Natural History and Geological Surveys.

[5] Paleontologist James Hall was appointed as the cabinet's curator, though he abandoned this responsibility due to an earlier instance of bankruptcy at the university during his tenure as State Geologist.

[8] Under zoologist Charles Cleveland Nutting, who had been appointed curator in 1876, systematic glass displays of specimens were installed as popular attractions on the university's campus.

Schrimper emphasized the redesign of the museum's exhibits for a more modern audience; these plans included the creation of a new gallery, Iowa Hall, in 1985.