The story of the Florida Museum of Natural History—often abbreviated as FLMNH—is not simply a chronicle of fossils, exhibits, and research. It is a story about Florida itself: its ancient seas and subtropical forests, its native peoples, its ever-evolving landscapes, and the generations of scientists and citizens who have worked to understand and preserve them. Over more than a century, the museum has transformed from a modest university teaching collection into a world-class institution whose influence reaches far beyond Gainesville.
The Origins of a Scientific Institution
The origins of the Florida Museum of Natural History stretch back to the late 19th century, a time when the state was still largely frontier territory. Florida’s extraordinary biodiversity and rich fossil record were attracting the attention of scientists from around the world. Among them was Thomas Van Hyning, a young naturalist who would become one of the central figures in the museum’s founding.
In 1891, Van Hyning began assembling a collection of natural specimens—fossils, shells, minerals, and preserved animals—for educational use at Florida Agricultural College in Lake City, which would later become part of the University of Florida. His work was driven by a passion to preserve and study the flora, fauna, and geology of a state that was undergoing rapid change.
When the University of Florida relocated to Gainesville in 1906, Van Hyning and his growing collection moved with it. By 1917, the university formally recognized his efforts, establishing the Florida State Museum. This small but dedicated institution represented the first organized attempt to document and interpret Florida’s natural environment in a scientific and educational context shutdown123