The Auburn University Museum of Natural History is dedicated to serving our community through education and outreach. Some of the ways in which we do so are by educating people of all ages about our flora and fauna and its importance, by bringing program participants in contact with Alabama’s vast biodiversity, and empowering Alabamians to help champion its conservation.  To these ends, museum staff participate in various education and outreach programs here on campus and throughout the state!  

Programs must be booked at least two weeks in advance. To book a program or get more information about our programs, please contact Michelle Simpson, our AUMNH Outreach Coordinator. 

Mobile Museum Programs

BRING THE MUSEUM TO YOU!

The Mobile Museum is great for community events and classroom programs. Our educators can set up mobile exhibits at events, bring our Animal Ambassadors (live animals), and facilitate programs in a classroom or community center.  You can choose from one of our preset programs or the AUMNH outreach educators can design one to fit your needs! Programs are 45-60 minutes and include any materials needed. 

This service is available to schools/communities located within a 20-mile radius of Auburn University. Standard mileage rates apply for programs past 20-miles (70 cents/mile in 2025). 

SCHOOL PROGRAM

$75.00 – 30 students maximum
Add on programs* $25.00 *must be same day 

COMMUNITY PROGRAM (CAMPS, LIBRARY, ETC.)

$100 Small Group Program – 30 participants maximum
$175 Large Group Program – more than 30 participants 

EVENTS: TRAVELING EXHIBITS WITH LIVE ANIMALS

$250.00 for 4 hours
$500.00 for 8 hours

Field Trips at AUMNH

Want to visit the museum and tour the collections? AUMNH can tour private groups through the behind the scenes of our collection for up to 25 people. The tour lasts between 60-90 minutes and discusses biodiversity and the importance of museums or can be customized to fit your classroom needs. Recommended for students 7 years and older. Option to add a program to your AUMNH tour, see above for pricing.

If your group is larger than 25, we recommend a joint field trip with the Davis Arboretum. A two-hour field trip includes a tour of the Arboretum, an activity or game, and part of the AUMNH mobile collections, both specimens and live animals (subject to weather). We focus on Alabama biodiversity, plants, animals, and nature or can customize to fit your classroom needs. Joint field trips with the Arboretum are located outside and our weather policy for programs held at the Arboretum is to cancel if the chance of rain is 40% or higher with the decision made the day before the program.

FIELD TRIP PRICING

$5 per person, teachers/chaperones are free
10:1 Student:Adult Ratio Required

Field Trips at Wehle Nature Center

Field Days at Wehle Nature Center
Available to schools in Bullock County, Alabama, or surrounding counties – Barbour, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, or Russell County. Field Day programs are half day field trips to the Wehle Nature Center in Midway, Al. Geared toward 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students, they consist of science and art modules, focusing on learning about protecting the natural world! Thanks to the Robert G. Wehle Charitable Trust, the field trips are available at no cost and include bus reimbursement! Limited space available, first come first serve. A 10:1 Student:Adult Ratio is required! Please contact our outreach coordinator, Michelle Simpson, to set up a Field Day at Wehle. 

Public Tours

First Wednesdays
As a research and education museum, the AUMNH does not house public collection space. In order to provide opportunities for the public to visit the museum and learn about the collections, free public tours are held the first Wednesday of each month. Register for the next First Wednesday tour here.

Open House
Auburn fans explore the AUMNH collections before partaking in another Auburn victory on the gridiron. In a growing tradition, the museum opens its doors to the public during a football weekend. Visitors are granted access to the collections and museum staff are present to answer any questions that they may have. Be on the lookout for dates in fall of 2025.

Summer Camp

Curious Curators
Why do we have natural history museums? Why are they important? How do they grow? From field to museum, campers will explore our local biodiversity, make collections, and learn how to curate them. We will explore swamps, streams, forests, and grasslands for plants and animals and even some fossils. Campers will have a new appreciation for the diversity of the region and the scientists that study it.

2025 DATES:

June 2-6 for rising 5th, 6th, and 7th graders
June 9-13 for rising 4th and 5th graders

In conjunction with the College of Sciences and Mathematics STEM Outreach Science Matters Summer Academy. Learn more, including information about registration, here.

Teacher Professional Development

STEER
Student-Teacher Education in Ecological Research (STEER) is a summer fellowship program that trains teachers and students to implement the scientific method using ecology-based studies so that teachers can better engage their students in the process of science. Learn more about STEER here.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES COMING SOON!

Other Education and Outreach Programs

Merit Badge University
Each March the museum participates in Alpha Phi Omega’s Merit Badge University.  Boy Scouts spend the day at the museum learning about Amphibians and Reptiles while earning their Reptile and Amphibian Study merit badge.

FrogWatch USA Volunteer Training Workshops
The AUMNH is home to a chapter of FrogWatch USA. FrogWatch USA is a national citizen science program where volunteers collect crucial data on when and where frogs are calling. Participation is open to everyone and no prior experience or expertise is required. To participate, volunteers must attend a volunteer training workshop and commit to learning the calls of our local frogs. To learn more about FrogWatch, visit our citizen science page or the AUMNH FrogWatch USA Chapter page.

Destination STEM
Each year the AUMNH participates in COSAM’s Destination STEM Day. Destination STEM is an interactive experience where middle and high school students considering careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math! The event gives students a chance to learn about our campus, our programs and the incredible opportunities offered through Auburn’s COSAM. In 2024, over 900 students had the opportunity to chat one-on-one with AU students and faculty and experience interactive exhibits.

Sustainability Picnic
Find us at the 2024 Sustainability Picnic on August 28 from 4:30-6:30p. At this zero waste event, you can connect with student groups, programs, and opportunities that make a difference. Enjoy live music, food and door prizes. We are excited to see the students and showing of some of our amazing animal ambassadors!

Other AUMNH Education Outreach Participants
Our House Auburn
Graduate Women in Science (GWIS)
Calloway Gardens
Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center
Cub Scouts
Fresh Air Family
Girl Scouts of Alabama
Green Gables 4-H Club
Alabama Forestry Association
Auburn University SPARKS Program
Kiwanis Club
City of Auburn
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society
Birmingham Water Works
And More!