Natural History Collections

A collection of Ecuadorian insects located in the Luther College natural history museum.

The Hoslett Museum of Natural History is housed in Valders Hall of Science. The Hoslett collections, supported in part by an endowment established by the Hoslett family in 1972 in honor of former Luther biology professor Sherman Hoslett, contain over 5,000 vertebrate specimens, including birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, and a significant collection of over 1,500 bird eggs. 

The herbarium collection contains over 1,000 pressed plants. The Luther entomological research collection has over 12,000 pinned insects.  Together, these collections form a rich resource on the biodiversity of Northeast Iowa and the Driftless Region for teaching, research, reference, and exhibit. Tours are available by appointment