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Wausau Today
By the People, for the People
UW-Stevens Point Hosts Annual Collection Crawl for Families
The university's natural history museum offers hands-on exploration of reptiles, fossils, and more.
Apr. 11, 2026 at 8:28pm
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The vibrant and interactive Collection Crawl event at UW-Stevens Point's Olson Museum of Natural History brings the wonders of the natural world to life for local families.Wausau TodayThe University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point held its annual Collection Crawl event, providing families with a hands-on exploration of natural resources, including live reptiles, fossils, and a walk through the tropical conservatory. The event featured 12 stations across three buildings, allowing participants to 'travel' and stamp their passports at each stop.
Why it matters
The Collection Crawl is an important annual event that allows the university's Olson Museum of Natural History to engage the local community, especially families, in learning about the natural world through interactive exhibits and demonstrations. The museum recently relocated to a new space in the science building, thanks to a generous donation, making this year's event particularly significant.
The details
The Collection Crawl featured over 85 staff and student volunteers who worked to plan and execute the event. Visitors were able to explore a variety of natural resources, including live reptiles, fossils, and the tropical conservatory. The event was structured as a 'crawl,' with 12 different stations across three buildings that participants could visit and stamp their 'passports' at each stop.
- The Collection Crawl took place on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
- The Olson Museum of Natural History at UW-Stevens Point closed its previous location at Albertson Hall in 2022 and is currently being rebuilt in the science building.
The players
Brigid Ferkett
The outreach specialist for the Olson Museum of Natural History at UW-Stevens Point, who helped plan and coordinate the Collection Crawl event.
Don and Judy Olson
The donors who provided a $450,000 gift to support the relocation and rebuilding of the Olson Museum of Natural History at UW-Stevens Point.
What they’re saying
“I would say it's probably the culmination of a yearlong's worth of slow work building up of many staff and students.”
— Brigid Ferkett, Outreach Specialist, Olson Museum of Natural History
“All of our volunteers and their students who work here and learn here, I hope they have a great time and build community with each other around things that they are passionate about. And then I hope the visitors who are coming are experiencing something new and learning something about the natural world that they didn't know.”
— Brigid Ferkett, Outreach Specialist, Olson Museum of Natural History
What’s next
The Olson Museum of Natural History at UW-Stevens Point will continue its work to rebuild and expand its exhibits and programming in the new science building location.
The takeaway
The annual Collection Crawl event at UW-Stevens Point is an important community engagement initiative that allows families to explore and learn about the natural world through hands-on experiences. The museum's relocation and expansion, supported by a generous donation, will enable it to continue offering these valuable educational opportunities for years to come.
