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The Museum’s mission is to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it, and we do this in the context of the extraordinary landscape of Utah. The Natural History Museum of Utah will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019, and in those five decades has developed a reputation of excellence in research, education, exhibitions, collections stewardship, and community service.
As the designated state museum of natural history, we have the privilege of caring for the state’s collections of natural and indigenous cultural objects. We serve people in communities across the urban and rural landscape by providing access to these collections and, through them, communicating the importance and value of the natural world around us, and providing key educational services to develop a science-literate workforce.
We are a part of and draw on the unique intellectual resources of the University of Utah. Our campus collaborations spark entrepreneurial research and programs, and the administration encourages a nimbleness rare in public organizations. We offer broad educational development and employment opportunities to the student body and the students, in turn, inspire us to push boundaries and look into the future.
In 2011, the Museum opened its spectacular new home, the Rio Tinto Center, which grew out of a remarkable public-private partnership between federal, state, and county governments and corporations, foundations, and individuals. This was a transformational milestone for the Museum, providing a much-needed platform for 21st-century research and education. Since opening, we have successfully increased our services, honed their quality, developed a sustainable operation, and became a top destination in Salt Lake City.
This is a crucial time for Utah. Our population is rapidly growing and changing. Human interactions with Utah’s landscape are complex and have high impact which is poorly understood. Our work in understanding the natural world and human interactions, and effectively communicating the risks, impacts, and choices we have is now more important than ever.
In the next five years, we have an extraordinary opportunity to build on the potential of the Rio Tinto Center to address these challenges by investing in cutting-edge research, novel and impactful exhibitions, and innovative science education. We can do this most effectively by leveraging our relationships with the State, the University, and our many constituencies, and building on our experience in innovation, collaboration, research, learning, and public experience. The goals for 2017 - 2022 are rooted in this context, created with input from NHMU’s staff, board, and volunteers, plus University representatives and key stakeholders, and take into account the Museum’s mission, values and vision for our community.
