As with most museums, objects on display make up only a small portion of the collections. Some of this "hidden" material will take its turn on exhibit, rotating with the currently displayed objects. However, other material is maintained primarily for research. The fruits of Museum research are seen in the details of the exhibits, in educational programs for the general public and school children, in education of undergraduate and graduate college students, in presentations before lay and professional audiences, and in professional publications.
The Centennial Museum's main building houses the archaeological, ethnological, and mineralogical research collections, as well as smaller collections in other areas.
Two other components of the Centennial Museum are located elsewhere on the University of Texas at El Paso campus.
The Laboratory for Environmental Biology is located in the Biological Sciences Building. It is concerned primarily with research into the biology of the Greater El Paso Region. Collections include plants, invertebrates (particularly mollusks and ants), amphibians and reptiles, birds, mammals, and vertebrate fossils.
The Southwest Biostratigraphic Institute, currently located in storage while searching for living space, has a geological research orientation, with emphasis on invertebrate paleontology.
Last updated 22 Jul 2006