Mission:

Inspire, explore, create

We are Minnesota’s official natural history museum, established by the legislature in 1872 and held in trust by the University of Minnesota. For over a century, the museum has preserved and interpreted our state’s rich natural history and served learners of all ages through hands-on experiences at the intersection of the sciences, arts, and humanities. Additionally, our scientific collections contain over one million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe.

As Minnesota’s state natural history museum, our mission is to ignite curiosity and wonder, explore our connections to nature and the universe, and create a better future for our evolving world.

The Bell Museum is part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. Below is a collection of guiding goals, to help steer both long and short-term decision making:

 - Educate and connect people to our natural world and universe
 - Provide a world class facility for learning
 - Improve facility access, and expand and diversify the museum’s audience
 - Diversify revenue sources by increasing earned revenue and strengthening fundraising
 - Combine the use of technology with excellent educators to create dynamic experiences
 - Engage diverse audiences with innovative programming
 - Develop new partnerships and expand our horizons through collaboration
 - Create enhanced diorama experiences

Diversity and Inclusion:

We believe it is essential to create an inclusive environment that welcomes and empowers people from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities to have equitable access the museum’s resources as well as opportunities to transform our work.  We are committed to upholding the diversity, equity, and inclusion definitions and values set forth by the CFANS and the University of Minnesota.

These values will be integrated in all aspects of the museum, including:

 - Hiring, recruitment, retention, and advancement of staff and volunteers
 - Selection and evaluation of program and exhibition content
 - Providing meaningful opportunities to participate in planning and leadership