Traveling Treasures
Layne Sermersheim and Katie Vitti installing the Shells case at a Traveling Treasures move.
For more than 20 years, the Natural History Museum of Utah and Zions Bank have worked together on Traveling Treasures, an annual outreach partnership designed to bring the state museum of natural history, and its collections, into all of Utah’s communities. Every year, a team of educators, exhibit designers, bank personnel, and museum volunteers create a new traveling exhibit that explores an intriguing aspect of the natural history of the state, region, or planet.
During its time on the road each year, Traveling Treasures visits up to 12 cities and hosts family science festivals throughout the state. This community programming allows the Natural History Museum of Utah to connect with Utah’s communities statewide—from Vernal to Delta, and Logan to Kanab.
See a full list of Traveling Treasures tour stops and special Community Science Nights below.
Traveling Treasures 2026: Woven Through Time
The cultures and histories of Utah's Indigenous peoples are woven into their baskets. Since time immemorial, baskets have been essential tools for daily life that helped Indigenous people thrive. Today, making baskets supports some Indigenous families as a source of income. Baskets continue to hold deep spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples. Each one contains knowledge passed down through generations.
Learn about the evolving cultures of Utah's tribal nations through the stories told by their baskets in this exhibit, which is sponsored by Zions Bank.
This exhibit was created in consultation with representatives of the eight sovereign tribal nations of Utah: Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, Navajo Nation, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute/White Mesa Community.