Museum of Wonder

In this special exhibition honoring Kansas State University's 150th Anniversary, we invite you to explore an eclectic mix of objects representing K-State's past, present, and future. The Museum of Wonder offers an opportunity to explore objects in nonconventional ways. The Museum of Wonder contains objects that highlight the diverse fields of research and knowledge pursued at K-State such as and wheat-related products, machines, models and hand-held equipment, books, maps and drawings, prints and paintings, carvings and castings, useful and decorative items, furniture and other household items, clothing and textiles, and animal fossils and skeletons. Inspiration for the Museum of Wonder came from the tradition of cabinets of curiosities or cabinets of wonder which were displays of items collected from around the world by wealthy Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th Centuries. These collections, the foundation of modern museums, sparked people's imaginations about art, other cultures, and the natural world. They often included natural specimens, items made of precious materials, and instruments of technology. Adjacent to the Museum of Wonder is a smaller installation, the Library of Wonder. This reading room and hands-on activity area invites you to further explore topics suggested by the Museum of Wonder. The Library of Wonder is made possible by a partnership with the K-State Libraries.