Missouri Institute of Natural Science

Welcome to the Museum of the Missouri Institute of Natural Science in Springfield, MO! We invite you to join us for an exciting trip into the Natural World around us. Meet us at the Museum and journey back into the distant past when Missouri was still nearly 500 feet deep under a giant inland sea. Learn about the geology of the area and life forms native to our region and the world at that time.

The Museum and Institute are located on the Riverbluff Cave site, the oldest Ice Age fossil cave in North America. It is a continuing source of rich fossil finds of mammoths and other animals.

Entrance to the Museum is free, and we are registered as a Non-profit entity here in Missouri. We greatly appreciate your donations, which are used to fund our operations.

Call us at 417.883.0594 or email us at info@monatsci.com to schedule a field trip for school groups, youth groups, and homeschool groups. We also offer space for meetings, events, and birthday parties. We are available weeknights and weekends by appointment.

Come down and meet us at the Museum! We are sure you’ll find a variety of fun, educational and exciting things to learn, see and do for visitors of all ages. We look forward to seeing you at the Museum soon!