Do you keep specimens out on display?

To protect our specimens, we do not keep any out on display. The Herbarium is primarily an archival and research facility and we do not maintain exhibits. If you are interested in browsing our specimens, we recommend accessing our data online. The Brown Digital Repository in particular is a great place to view high-resolution images of our specimens.

Are you open to visitors?

Due to staffing schedules we are open by appointment only. Please email the Director or herbarium@brown.edu. Please see our Policies page for more information on using our collections for research.

I am a professor/teacher and would like to bring my class to the Herbarium - what do I need to know?

We are happy to provide tours for class visits. Please email to schedule your visit at least two weeks in advance and include a description of your class and what you hope to see and accomplish during your visit. Our space is fairly small and can accommodate ~20 people maximum. 

I would like to arrange a group tour of the Herbarium for my organization - what do I need to know?

We are happy to provide group tours of the facility. Tours usually last 60-90 minutes and include a presentation and walk through the collections room (note we do not keep specimens out on display, but can pull a limited number out for viewing). Please email the Director at least two weeks in advance to schedule. 

I am a student and want to research specimens for a class assignment - what do I need to know?

We strongly recommend that you view our specimen images and data online first. Afterwards, if you have questions about the collections or would like to schedule a visit, please email the Director.

We love to hear about how students engage with our collections - please consider sharing your completed project with us!