Natural Science Collections

Natural science collections are a valuable research infrastructure that is used for teaching and exhibitions.
Collections as a research infrastructure and a memory of nature. Natural science collections are a valuable research infrastructure that is also used for teaching and exhibitions.
Quality and diversity of collections The natural science collections include around 310,000 samples.
Research and borrowing of items in the collections If you wish to study the collection or borrow items from it, please contact the museum curator first.

Collections as a memory, archive and research infrastructure

The origin of the museum’s collections dates back to the 1860s when the Jyväskylä Teacher Seminary, the first educational institution for primary school teachers in Finland, started to gather a collection for teaching purposes. During the Seminary years, collections were made to support the teaching of natural sciences. Some teachers made trips abroad and brought back exotic animal samples.

In 1973, the teaching collections of the Department of Biology were named as the natural science collections of the University of Jyväskylä. The international collection code of the Jyväskylä University Museum is JYV.

Today, the Natural History Museum of Central Finland is located on the Harju ridge in Jyväskylä.

Contacts:
luontomuseo@jyu.fi