Central Wisconsin News

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Olson Museum of Natural History is set to host the 2025 Collection Crawl on April 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event allows the public to explore exhibits in paleontology and geology, among other scientific fields. Visitors will have access to collections housed in the Trainer Natural Resources Building, Chemistry Biology Building, and Science Building.

Samantha Kaplan, a professor of geology and curator of the Collection Crawl, emphasized the significance of the event. "Only once a year does the public get to learn first-hand from the scientists who curate our museum collections. Museums are far more than what is exhibited, and this is a chance to see and appreciate the scope of our natural history collections and the science those collections support," she stated.

Visitors can earn stamps by completing an event passport at each collection site. The Olson Museum, located on the main floor of the Science Building at 2001 Fourth Avenue, will offer tours of the rock and fossil exhibit along with behind-the-scenes access to areas under construction. Additionally, participants can engage in activities in the Olson Museum Discovery Room, including using microscopes and playing trivia. The university's Herpetology Club will also present live animals.

The Blocher Planetarium, on the second floor of the Science Building, will provide free showings of programs such as “Incoming! Asteroids, Comets and the Hard-Hitting Stories of our Cosmic Origins” at 10 a.m. and a “Laser Musical Show” at 11 a.m.

For more details about the collection crawl and related programs, interested parties can visit www.uwsp.edu/event/collection-crawl-2025.