The Georgia Museum of Natural History is a unit of the Franklin College that links collections, research, public service, and education through programs designed for a diverse audience. Many Franklin faculty also serve as museum personnel and board members. Faculty, staff, and students from across campus have built significant collections in natural history through their research that, together, represent the most comprehensive in Georgia. These collections play an important role in the teaching mission of the University as well as in public service and outreach.
In May 2013, the museum added hundreds of specimens of marine mammals and other animals to its research collection from the Northeastern University Vertebrate Collection in Nahant, MA.. These specimens include skins, skulls, postcranial skeletons, and fluid-preserved materials. The United Parcel Service played a crucial role in the shipping of this newest part of the collection, and made this terrific promotional video touting the transfer.