Welcome to the Frost Entomological Museum!

We house the insect and related arthropod collections of the Pennsylvania State University. The Frost Museum is a vital university facility, as a biodiversity library, repository for research materials, and as a research center. In addition, the Museum serves a valuable educational function by making insect biodiversity accessible to the general public through displays for the casual visitor, and formal educational visits for school groups and other interested organizations.

Hours
A public display area is open to the public during the week, Monday through Friday, 9:30 am until 4:30 pm. Please call ahead during Penn State's winter and spring breaks as the museum may be closed during those times. (Click here for link to the Penn State calendar.)

Location
Head House III is located on Curtin Road on the University Park Campus about half way between Shortlidge and Bigler Roads. The Museum is across the street from the new Food Science Building and Penn State Creamery. Campus maps are available here.

History
The major portion of the collection was originated and developed by Dr. Stuart Frost through "The Ecological Insect Survey of Pennsylvania," and subsequent research projects, field surveys, and private gifts. After his retirement in 1957, Dr. Frost regularly collected insects from Florida which were also added to the collection. To learn more about Dr. Frost's accomplishments, click here. During the 1970's further Pennsylvania insects were added though the "Economic and Faunistic Survey of Pennsylvania."

Museum Holdings
The research collection comprises over 2,000,000 specimens of insects representing at least 15,000 species. Specimens are pinned, slide mounted, and liquid preserved in alcohol. The important collection holdings include the George and Alice Beatty Odonata Collection, John Pepper Aphid Collection, K.C. Kim Anoplura Collection and others. Please visit our Holdings page for more details about the collection. If you are interested in borrowing specimens for your research, please visit our Loan Policies page.