Taxidermy birds from the Morris Museum's collection

The natural sciences collection encompasses vertebrates – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish; invertebrates – arthropods, sponges, echinoderms and mollusks; and a limited collection of botanical materials. The collections include mounts and skeletons, mollusk shells, insects, specimens preserved in liquids and live specimens. Endangered and extinct species and non-regional fauna add important interpretive perspectives.

In addition, the museum’s geology and paleontology collection is its largest collection and is regarded as one of the best in New Jersey. The collection focuses largely on specimens from New Jersey with a 100 percent representation of New Jersey minerals including Franklin and Watchung Mountain materials and an outstanding micro mount collection. The rock collection is maintained primarily for educational purposes. The fossils include species with a strong focus on regional materials and excellent examples of regional dinosaur tracks.