Media Relations

The Bell Museum is Minnesota’s state natural history museum, founded in 1872. Our scientific collections contain over one million specimens, representing every county in Minnesota and various locales around the globe. The museum is part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. 

10 facts about the Bell Museum

1 – The Bell Museum was established in 1872. The first location was on the Minneapolis campus on Church Street and in 2018 the Bell moved to the St. Paul campus to house both the museum and the planetarium.

2 – The Bell Museum houses extensive collections, representing both Minnesota and global biodiversity. These collections are used by students and scientists worldwide to understand both natural history and our changing world.

3 – The Touch & See Lab was established in 1968. At the time, it was the first of its kind in the nation.

4 – Once the Bell Museum and the Minnesota Planetarium Society integrated their programming and operations in a sort of cosmic convergence in 2011, astronomy education has been a central focus of the Bell’s mission. With several shows per day, many of which are Bell original productions, our planetarium is an opportunity to have live and dynamic experiences with the cosmos.

5 – The Bell offers special admissions prices for curiosity members, indigenous peoples, and more.

6 – When the museum was created in 1872, it was in response to The Geological and Natural Survey Act was passed, which included a museum being established at the University to be the repository of all natural history and geological specimens collected. Since then, we’ve worked to be Minnesota’s statewide natural history. The Bell has been a leader in outreach as a museum without boundaries with programming like the statewide star party, STEM kits, and more.

7 – The Bell is dedicated to being a welcoming and inclusive museum that serves all Minnesotans. We are committed to diversity, equity, accessibility & inclusion. Read more about our commitment here.

8 – Our dioramas are examples of our dedication to art and nature. They feature backdrops painted by the famous natural history painter Francis Lee Jaques (pronounced “JAY-qweez”) and feature examples of ecological scenes.

9 – The Bell is part of the University of Minnesota! Many of our staff members are students from the university. All University of Minnesota students receive free general admission and half off planetarium tickets.

10 – Last, and certainly not least, we house a life size woolly mammoth!

Mission

The Bell ignites and sustains curiosity for nature and the universe.

Vision

The Bell envisions a hopeful future where all are inspired by nature and empowered by science.

Values

Wonder. We nourish a lifelong love for nature and the sciences through interactivity, discovery, awe-inspiring experiences, and the arts and humanities.

Inquiry. We embrace deeper understanding of the world through research, collections, and broad collaborations.

Engagement. We empower people to connect with Minnesota’s unique place in the world by making science meaningful, relevant, and accessible.

Guiding Principles

Collaboration. We value our visitors, partners, and the experiences we create together, which enrich and extend our learning and service.

Sustainability. We consider our impact to future generations as we make decisions for today.

Inclusion. We seek to transform the role of science and museums to connect with communities of all identities, especially those that have been historically excluded and sidelined.

Integrity. We strive for excellence in all that we do, guided by honesty, transparency, and accountability.

Press Releases

Read the latest news about the Bell Museum.

Bell Press Releases 

Please use the following credit when publishing our press images along with any noted photographers: Courtesy of the Bell Museum and University of Minnesota.

Find general building images available for download. Additional media, video clips, and archival imagery available upon request.

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Media Guidelines

The Bell Museum is a unit of the University of Minnesota. The university is an open and public place that provides the news media reasonable access to campus. However, we may regulate media access so as not to disrupt museum visitors, research and programs, to protect the safety and privacy of those on campus, and to comply with state and federal laws on student and personnel data.

The following guidelines pertain to any individual or group conducting interviews, making audio or video recordings, or taking photographs for dissemination to the public via commercial or non-commercial news and information outlets, including online.

Visit the university’s Media Resources page for more information.

General Guidelines

Call us in advance. We encourage members of the media who plan to visit the museum to contact us directly so we can help facilitate. All media personnel must be accompanied by Bell Museum staff. Contact awiseman@umn.edu to schedule a visit.

Media vehicles must be parked legally. Parking rules are routinely enforced on campus because parking is in high demand and traffic is heavy. It is also important that traffic flow, sidewalks, driveways, fire lanes, disability access and the like are not blocked. The University will not pay for parking tickets on media vehicles.

Equipment must not damage University property. Additional restrictions on the use of television cameras, still cameras, flash photography and other special lighting and audio equipment may be implemented on a case-by-case basis to minimize disruption or protect safety or security.

Access may be limited for commercial filming. The museum’s unique architecture and collections make it an ideal setting for filming and photographing events and activities. Note: All still photography and filming/taping, other than that being done by news organizations for news purposes, students filming as part of coursework, or for official University Units is considered to be commercial work. Visit Filming and Photography at the University for more information and to submit a filming request.