Research & Collections

From its beginning in 1836, the New York State Museum has been home to some of the nation’s leading scientists, including pioneers in archaeology, paleontology, ethnology, and botany. Its collections now rank among the finest in many fields and total more than sixteen million specimens, objects, and artifacts.

Archaeology

Biology

Ethnography

Geology

History

Paleontology

State History1

Research at the New York State Museum today is as exciting as it is varied, with scientists and historians actively directing projects in biology, anthropology, geology, paleontology, and history. Research by staff represents one tangible way in which information about the natural and cultural histories of New York, and the world, is made available to the public. Research findings are presented in scholarly and popular publications, at professional meetings, in exhibitions, and in public programs.

Researchers throughout the world use the collections of the New York State Museum to address questions about New York's natural and human heritage. The Museum’s collections are made available to researchers and scholars and are also used in exhibitions and public programs. Participation in Museum collections curation and research projects is possible through internships and volunteer opportunities.

To explore the Museum’s Research and Collections Division, hover your mouse over the Research and Collections block at the top navigation bar.

News Articles

First Annual NorSC Conference at Philipse Manor Hall

Published January 10, 2023 | State History

This article originally appeared on the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance. The Northern Slavery Collective (NorSC) is a cohort of museums and historic sites rethinking their current narratives by including the stories of enslaved and free peopl...

Archives Partnership Trust Receives $150,000 Grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation to Expand New York Archives Magazine for Young Readers

Published January 6, 2023 | State History

This article originally appeared in an Archives Partnership Trust newsletter. The award-winning New York Archives Magazine is expanding to include a new Jr! educational insert and other related enhancements thanks to a $150,000 grant from the R...

"Underground Chautauqua: Three Freedom Trails" Film and Map

Published January 4, 2023 | State History

The film Underground Chautauqua: Three Freedom Trails premiered at the Fredonia Opera House on November 10, 2022. Produced as a public service, the film is now available at YouTube by typing its title at the app. Showcasing the persons identifi...

African American Archive of Columbia County Unveils Black History Sign

Published December 29, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on the African American Archive of Columbia County website. We're so excited to share the Archive's latest achievement! Last summer we teamed up with the Columbia County Historical Society to design an...

GothamEd | Showroom Gotham: How New York City Became The International Art Capital

Published December 29, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on the GothamEd website. During the Gilded Age, collectors and patrons made New York City the headquarters for art in the United States and the world. In this course, we will discuss the exploits of these tastem...

ITPS Podcast "Public History in a Virtual Age" Season 2 Episode 6

Published December 29, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies website. In the sixth and final episode of Season Two of the ITPS Podcast on Indigenous Public History, I speak with Heather Bruegl. We talk about her dynamic career as ...

Science Tuesday: "Living Fossils!"

Published December 12, 2022 | Ichthyology

Bowfin fishes are recognized as evolutionary relicts or ‘living fossils’ that historically were distributed worldwide, going back almost 150 million years and living alongside dinosaurs. These fishes retain many of the morphological traits of thei...

Science Tuesday: DNA Research in Ornithology

Published December 12, 2022 | Ornithology

Museum specimens are important sources of DNA, used by researchers to discover the evolutionary relationships among species. NYSM zoology curators save small samples of muscle and other tissues from the specimens they prepare for our collections. ...

Local History Groups Join with Fort Ticonderoga for Programs Commemorating Henry Knox's Artillery March

Published December 6, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared in Lake George Battlefield Alliance press release. The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and the Warren County Historical Society are joining with Fort Ticonderoga to present an evening program on Monday, De...

Port Byron Marks Special Places in History

Published December 6, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on The Citizen website. What do Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train and a Bible he once owned, a noted Mormon church leader who founded Salt Lake City, and a mincemeat company have in common? All were commemorate...

NYSCA FY2023 Grantees Announced

Published December 1, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on the NYSCA website. Congratulations to the museums and historical societies who will receive 2023 NYSCA funding! The full list of grantees can be seen here.

The McVaugh Donation: Important Collections Come in Small Packages

Published November 28, 2022 | Native American Archaeology

Over the years, the NYSM has received donations of very large archaeological collections numbering hundreds of thousands of specimens—but small collections can also be important. One such donation, modest in size but rich in content, was...

Larry J. Hackman Research Residency Program

Published November 21, 2022 | State History

This article originally appeared on the New York State Archives website. Applications are now available for the 2023-24 Larry J Hackman Research Residency at the New York State Archives Come to the State Archives as a Hackman Research Reside...

The Bodega: Place, Urban Redevelopment, and Political Power in Postwar New York with Historian Pedro A. Regalado Recorded Lecture Now Available

Published November 9, 2022 | State History

New York City’s Latinx small-business owners were frequent victims of urban renewal “slum clearance” during the 1950s. By the next decade, they wielded the federal War on Poverty to reimagine the relationship between government and Latinx New York...