Naming Opportunities

The Virginia Museum of Natural History offers a variety of naming opportunities that provide individuals, organizations and businesses a tremendous way to support the museum and also receiving perpetual recognition for their generosity. Naming opportunities range from entire exhibit galleries to scientific collections to individual exhibit displays. Giving options include major gifts, planned gifts, and multi-year pledges.

Interested in learning more? Please don't hesitate to contact VMNH Deputy Director Ryan Barber via email or at 276-403-4813.

$4 million

• Named – Mariels Young Explorers Center

$2.5 million

• Endowed curator position
  • Archaeology
  • Herpetology
  • Paleontology
  • Recent Invertebrates
  • Vertebrate Biology

$1 million

• Named – The Harvest Foundation Hall of Ancient Life

$500,000

• Special Exhibit Gallery

$250,000

• Named – Lee & George W. Lester, II How Nature Works Gallery
• Named – Mr. & Mrs. L. Dudley Walker Lecture Hall

$150,000

• Museum Plaza
• Eeobalanoptera Whale Cast (exhibit display)
• Clawd the Giant Ground Sloth (exhibit display)
• Named – Estate of William F. Carter & Ella Cousins Carter Allosaurus Skeleton Cast
• Named – Didi Pancake Acrocanthosaurus Skeleton Cast

$100,000

• Museum Lobby
• How Nature Works: Rocks (exhibit)
• How Nature Works: Life (exhibit)
• Named – Hooker Furnishings Discovery Reef
• Named – Dr. Richard L. Hoffman Recent Invertebrates Lab
• Named – Cindy Gray Memorial Pollinator Garden

$75,000

• Uncovering Virginia: Solite (exhibit)
• Uncovering Virginia: Grundy (exhibit)
• Uncovering Virginia: Carmel Church (exhibit)
• Uncovering Virginia: Saltville (exhibit)
• Archaeology Lab
• Named – Jean S. Adams Education Pavilion
• Named – Bassett Furniture Foundation Graham-White Exhibit
• Named – Kitty Sue & Clyde Hooker Chippokes Exhibit

$50,000

• Dinosaur and Fossil Animal Storage
• Fossil Shell Storage
• Pickled Animal Storage
• Bugs and Bones Storage
• “Dirty” Lab
• Named – Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Archaeology Collections Storage
• Named – Charity League of Martinsville-Henry County Classroom
• Named – Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Classroom
• Named – George & Jean Adams Earth Sciences Lab
• Named – Elster Foundation Vertebrate Paleontology Lab
• Named – Mammalogy Lab – In Memory of Mattie H. and Irving M. Groves, Sr. by their Grandchildren Smith and Gael Chaney
• Named – Suzanne M. Lacy Education Center

$25,000

• Invertebrate Paleontology Lab
• Marine Biology and Bryozoan (moss animal) Lab
• Molecular Analysis lab
• Specimen Preparation Lab
• Nile Crocodile (exhibit taxidermy display)
• Sinistra whale skull (exhibit fossil display)
• VMNH Catering Kitchen
• Named – Hermes Family Foundation Fossil Overlook
• Named – Column case – In Appreciation of and to Honor All Virginia Teachers Past, Present and Future
• Named – Column Case – In Honor of Nancy L. Barnett
• Named – Column Case – In Honor of Caroline, Hunter, Jacob, J. B. and Caroline Frith and Peyton Drane by the J. Burness Frith Family
• Named – Column Case – In Honor of Gael Chaney
• Named – Column Case – In Memory of Jerry S. Chaney, given by Ruth G. Chaney
• Named – Column Case – The Wilbur S. Doyle Family
• Named – Column Case – Ralph and J. D. Lester
• Named – Column Case – Will & Susan Pannill

$10,000

• Moose (exhibit taxidermy display)
• Black Bear and Cubs (exhibit taxidermy display)
• Arctic Fox (exhibit taxidermy display)
• Sea Turtle (exhibit taxidermy display)
• Jack the Corn Snake (live animal ambassador)
• Sheldon and Speedy the Turtles (live animal ambassadors)
• Cockroach Colony (live colony for educational programs)