The museum houses the first Brontosaurus fossil ever discovered, described by O.C. Marsh in 1879.
The 'Age of Reptiles' mural is a fresco secco painting that won a Pulitzer Prize for Zallinger in 1949.
The collection contains the oldest known specimen of the earliest bird, Archaeopteryx, in North America.
The museum's holdings include rare artifacts from the early 20th-century Hiram Bingham expedition to Machu Picchu.
The facility functions as an active research institution, with most of its millions of specimens stored in archives for scientific study rather than public display.
The museum was founded in 1866 following a gift from philanthropist George Peabody.
The Yale Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest university natural history museums in the world, recently renovated and reopened in 2024. Its central feature is the Great Hall of Dinosaurs, which showcases a massive Brontosaurus specimen and an iconic 110-foot-long 'Age of Reptiles' mural by Rudolph Zallinger. The museum houses over 14 million objects, including extensive collections in paleontology, anthropology, and zoology. Exhibits span Earth's history from the formation of the planet to the rise of human civilizations. Research collections are integrated into public galleries, highlighting active scientific work conducted by Yale faculty and students. The museum serves as a critical repository for botanical, mineralogical, and historical specimens. Recent updates have modernized the galleries to improve accessibility and narrative depth for diverse visitor groups. It is located on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut.
In front of the Brontosaurus skeleton in the Great Hall of Dinosaurs.
Download the digital guide before arriving to maximize understanding of the new gallery layouts.
Focus on the 'Human Footprints' and 'Life in Ancient Seas' galleries, which are highlights of the recent renovation.
Check the museum's website for scheduled lecture series or pop-up scientific demonstrations happening in the main hall.
Trying to see every one of the 14 million items; focus on the main hall and highlighted special exhibitions.
Closed on Mondays.
No food or drink in the galleries; photography is permitted without flash.
