Originally affiliated with Montana State University in Bozeman, and now, also, the Smithsonian Institution, the museum is known for its paleontological collections, although these are not its sole focus.
Awalnya berafiliasi dengan Montana State University in Bozeman, dan sekarang juga Smithsonian Institution, museum tersebut dikenal karena koleksi paleontologinya, meskipun itu bukanlah fokus tunggalnya.