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The Pember Museum

The Pember Museum collections are a wonderful example of the bio-diversity of the area 100 years ago, and also include specimens from around the world. 

There are approximately 10,000 objects in the collections of the Pember Museum, covering a wide variety of natural history subjects.  Nearly 80% of the collections are on display.  Specimens include vertebrate (birds, mammals and reptiles) and invertebrate animals (insects, arachnids and sea life), rocks and minerals, fossils, some anthropological and historical materials, and a herbarium (dried plant specimens).

Mr. Pember, a member of the prestigious American Fern Society and an avid botanist, collected over 1000 specimens of plants found both locally and from around the continental United States.  Iridescent butterflies from around the world in every shape, color and size make up the largest portion of the insect collection.  Insects that mimic leaves and sticks and the large Rhinoceros and Hercules Beetles are among the many insects on display.

Mr. Pember collected sets of bird eggs and nests from around the United States to add to his collection, along with sea shells and other examples of marine life.  The majority of the collections are on exhibit in their original cases, while duplicate specimens are in storage.