The Museum of Natural and Cultural History is realizing longstanding digital dreams with the launch of its new website. 

The site, which went live last week, is tightly aligned in looks and content with the museum’s brick-and-mortar space and provides enhanced opportunities for users to explore museum collections and research activities.

Visitors to the site can explore dozens of digital collections galleries and link to searchable databases containing images and descriptions of thousands of paleontological, geological, and anthropological objects—including the museum’s renowned collection of perishable fiber artifacts from Oregon’s northern Great Basin, a region that was home to some of North America’s first cultures.

The website also spotlights current research at the museum, including paleoclimate studies used to guide future ecosystems conservation, an ongoing fiber artifact dating project headed up by archaeological research director Tom Connolly, and analyses of plant remains happening in the museum’s paleoethnobotany laboratory.

“We’re delighted to offer a more comprehensive and cohesive experience to our online visitors, and to increase public access to our research activities and the many fragile collections that aren’t on public display,” said Jon Erlandson, the museum’s executive director.