History of the museum

The Gordon L. Grosscup Museum of Anthropology at Wayne State University has been a training ground for students and area residents interested in local history and archaeology for generations. Founded in 1958 by Dr. Arnold Pilling, the museum has long been a center for local archaeological research. In 2010, the Museum was re-named the Grosscup Museum of Anthropology in honor of its first Curator of Archaeology, Professor Emeritus Dr. Gordon L. Grosscup.

From 1995 to 2016, Dr. Tamara L. Bray was the museum's director, in addition to being a professor of anthropology. In August 2017 a new position of director of the museum of anthropology and planetarium was created, and Dr. Megan McCullen took on this role. In August 2022, Dr. Andrew Maske was hired as the director of the museum of anthropology, with Dr. Megan McCullen as associate director of the museum of anthropology and director of the planetarium.

Over the years the Museum of Anthropology has been housed in a variety of campus locations. In 1997, the Museum moved to its current location on the first floor of the Old Main building. Old Main, constructed in 1896, is the oldest academic building on the Wayne State campus. It underwent a complete renovation in the mid-1990s and was reopened to the public on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.