Campus & Beyond Fossils to Fortepianos: The Hill’s ‘Mini Museums’ and Collections Stories You May Like New Era, New Olin: Library Unveils Sweeping Interior Renovations Why the Hill Is Home to Amazing ‘Collections of Collections’ Alum’s Big Red Memorabilia Collection Captures a Bygone Era The next time you visit Ithaca, check out exhibits on Chimes history, 19th-century machines, sparkling gemstones, and so much more By Joe Wilensky If you’re strolling on campus and a visitor asks “Where’s the museum?,” you’ll probably think first of the Johnson Museum of Art—whether due to its impressive holdings, its unique architecture, or the panoramic views from its upper floors. But the Johnson is far from the only venue on campus to showcase thought-provoking exhibits and collections. There are at least a dozen others; some are tucked away and only accessible by request or private tour, while others host rotating displays that give glimpses into their larger collections. Some are tucked away and only accessible by request or private tour, while others host rotating displays that give glimpses into their larger collections. Here’s a look at some of the Hill’s “mini museums.” Have you visited—or even heard of—them before? Let us know in the comments! Editor’s note: Most of the museums and collections have websites, which are linked at the top of each section. Chimes Museum The history of Cornell’s beloved bells is showcased on the sixth floor of McGraw Tower—offering an ideal break for anyone climbing those 161 steps to the top. In past years, the “museum” was merely a series of informational panels about the Chimes and tower—but it’s in the midst of a major upgrade, with numerous artifacts now on exhibit. Joe Wilensky / Cornell University The items include a 404-pound, E-flat bell from 1939 (replaced in 1982); levers from a former playing stand; and a pair of clock hands that graced the tower from the 1970s to the ’90s. During the upgrade process, the museum will be accessible only to classes and for private tours (contact chimes@cornell.edu for information). Once completed in spring 2026, it will be open during Chimes concerts; check the concert schedule for details. Fashion + Textile Collection Chronicling how people dressed, lived, and worked over the centuries, the collection comprises more than 10,000 garments, textiles, and accessories that span from the 1700s to today. Provided They range from lavish gowns to an Elvis costume to firefighters’ protective jackets—even a judicial collar worn by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’54. Its public-facing displays include a few curated exhibits each year in gallery spaces on the terrace level of the Human Ecology Building (as well as online). Museum of Vertebrates Once housed in a three-story display space in the Arts Quad’s McGraw Hall, the museum can now be found at the Lab of Ornithology. An NSF-funded resource for teaching and research, it’s overseen by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Collections are divided into ichthyology, herpetology, ornithology, and mammalogy (more commonly known as fish, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals). Museum of Vertebrates The primary repository for Cornellian-collected vertebrate specimens from around the world, it houses more than 1.5 million specimens and 10,000 genetic samples. While the museum does not typically mount public exhibits, staff are available to provide information, and tours can be scheduled for classes and other groups. Anthropology Collaboratory The new facility—which unites many of the University’s anthropology collections and laboratories—opened in 2025 in the lower level of Olin Library, a temporary home while McGraw Hall is undergoing renovation. provided It comprises Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiquities, artifacts from ancient Peru, ethnographic items from the Philippines, and much more. Exhibits rotate, and currently include stone tools of the Lower Paleolithic age and a mummy’s sarcophagus. Wortham Military Museum Established in 1973 and managed by Army ROTC, the Barton Hall facility is named for Capt. Howard Wortham 1914, who served with distinction in the Quartermaster Corps. After a significant renovation, it reopened on Barton’s third floor in 2016. The museum preserves the University’s collection of military artifacts, including uniforms, photographs, tactical manuals, and correspondence. Provided Displays honor prominent Cornellians who served in the armed forces, including Col. Frank Barton 1891—one of the first two alums to earn a U.S. Army commission, and the University’s first ROTC commander—and Brig. Gen. Robert Stack 1920, best known for taking Nazi leader Hermann Göring into custody. Through March, the museum is hosting part of a multisite exhibit, “Fit for Duty: Form and Function in Military Dress” with the Fashion + Textile Collection. To arrange a visit, stop by the Army ROTC office or email armyrotc@cornell.edu. Insect Collection The collection comprises 7 million specimens that represent some 200,000 species—about a fifth of the world’s catalogued insect fauna. Stories You May Like New Era, New Olin: Library Unveils Sweeping Interior Renovations Why the Hill Is Home to Amazing ‘Collections of Collections’ CALS While it’s typically only open to researchers, it has mounted public exhibits in the past, including “From Nabokov’s Net,” on butterflies collected by the famed Cornell professor (which now lives online). It also co-sponsored the “Six-Legged Science” display at the Paleontological Research Institution’s Museum of the Earth. Each fall, the collection provides materials for Cornell’s popular Insectapalooza festival, hosted by the entomology department. Heasley Mineralogy Museum Residing in the atrium of Snee Hall, it offers a dazzling array of minerals, fossils, cut and polished gemstones, and instruments used in lapidary (gem cutting and polishing) work. Cornell University Displays feature representatives of the collection’s thousands of minerals, as well as gems. (The “diamonds” on display, however, are glass replicas of well-known specimens, including the famous 45-carat Hope diamond.) Much of the collection—including items purchased by Ezra Cornell in 1868—formed the University’s original Museum of Geology and Mineralogy, once housed in McGraw Hall. Fuertes Observatory Museum Operated and overseen by the Cornell Astronomical Society, the museum is open along with the observatory: most Fridays from 8 p.m. to midnight. Provided It includes a historic 103-year-old telescope, other astronomical instruments, and a stunning photographic gallery of the night sky taken from the observatory. Renovated in recent years, the museum also features a section devoted to famed astronomy professor Carl Sagan, including his work on the PBS show “Cosmos.” Reuleaux Collection of Mechanisms and Machines The 19th-century models were developed for research and teaching, and to illustrate fundamental principles of kinematics—the geometry of motion. Acquired by A.D. White in 1882, the models are now housed in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Most of the collection—more than 300 items—are on display throughout Duffield Atrium and Upson Hall. Cornell Engineering The models helped shape engineering education on the Hill, allowing students to visualize and manipulate mechanisms—reinforcing concepts like converting circular motion into linear motion, which was critical for designing steam engines, clocks, and other machinery of the time. The collection can also be viewed via the Kinematics Models for Design Digital Library, an open-access, multimedia resource. Rock Parks Overseen by the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (shared by Engineering and CALS), the parks comprise a weighty collection of specimens representing the geology of New York and New England. Jason Koski / Cornell University There were originally two rock parks—each dating from the 1970s—spread out in front of Kimball, Thurston, and Bard halls. In 2022, both were moved to the southeastern part of the quad and rearranged to better align with how faculty use them in their teaching. Each of the 40 rocks has a label describing its composition, where it was procured, its uses, and its age, with some more than a billion years old. Center for Historical Keyboards More a collection than a museum, the center is a world-renowned repository of vintage instruments, from pipe organs to fortepianos. While much of it resides at its official home at 726 University Avenue, some of its most impressive pieces can’t be moved—like the massive pipe organs in the Sage and Anabel Taylor chapels and instruments in Lincoln and Barnes halls. Joe Wilensky / Cornell University The collection includes original instruments—the oldest is from the 1700s—as well as historically accurate replicas, all kept performance ready; its newest holdings are 1960s synthesizers. The instruments draw students and faculty, from composers to engineers to physicists, to study their sonic properties and craftsmanship. They’re regularly used for performances; details can be found on the center’s events page. Wilder Brain Collection The famed collection dates to 1889; its namesake, Prof. Burt Green Wilder, was a former Civil War surgeon and one of Cornell’s founding faculty. At its peak, it likely contained more than 1,000 specimens. Cornell University Today, a selection of eight notable brains, including that of infamous Ithaca “genius murderer” Edward Rulloff, is displayed in a Uris Hall showcase—a popular stop for campus visitors. The rest of the collection—no longer scientifically useful, but a historical curiosity—numbers about two dozen, kept in a storage room. Top: A display of historic lantern slides of planets and galaxies at the Fuertes Observatory. (Cornell Astronomical Society) Published January 21, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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