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Richter Museum

Biodiversity Center Home Page


The Richter Museum of Natural History contains one of Wisconsin's most significant collections of animal specimens for scientific research and education. Located in purpose-built facilities on the lower level of Mary Ann Cofrin Hall, the collection is built around an extraordinary gift from Carl Richter, a former resident of Oconto, WI and one of the state's most prominent ornithologists. Richter’s 1974 donation included over 10,000 sets of bird eggs, and the museum now houses over 11,000 sets, making it one of the ten largest egg collections in North America. The museum also contains tens of thousands of animal specimens, mostly in the form of study skins, skeletons, and alcohol-preserved specimens, and representing all major branches on the tree of life. With a focus on the Great Lakes fauna, all bird species that breed in the area are represented, as well as most of the fish, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species that call the great lakes area home. The collection of non-vertebrate animals is notable for containing significant numbers of local insect, mollusk, and spider species.

If you are interested in learning more about the museum or visiting the collection for research or educational purposes contact:

Dr. Daniel Meinhardt, Richter Museum Curator
(920) 465-2398
meinhada@uwgb.edu