Established in 1866, this museum is nationally recognized for its public exhibits and collections as well as research and graduate education. The museum's exhibits are housed in Dyche Hall, on the main campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Dyche Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as are three other buildings on campus.

The museum features a Panorama of North American plants and animals in a 186-foot continuous exhibit that presents realistic scenes of wildlife from the artic coasts of Alaska to the tropical rain forests of Mexico. Permanent exhibits include fossils of dinosaurs, reptiles, fish, mounted mammals and birds, live bees, and snakes. The museum is also home to Comanche - the horse that was the only U.S. Army survivor of the Battle at the Little Bighorn, and Annabelle, an impressive 50-foot-long, 140-million-year-old camarassaurus dinosaur. Annabelle was found in Wyoming along with an adult male and baby camarasaurus, the first discovery of such a family grouping.