After the opening of Morrill Hall, much work was done by student workers and assistant curators alike to move the extensive collections and specimens into the new building. This work mostly took place over the summer of 1928. Although the building was built and the collections were, for the most part, moved, they could not begin mounting the specimens. Miss Dolan, the artist charged with painting the murals of Morrill Hall, proved to take more time than her estimated eight weeks. Without the murals complete, the collections could not be prepared and mounted for exhibition, much to the exasperation of the public and the university.

Morrill Hall was originally presumed to be much larger, but a compromise in visions was made; instead, the building was constructed in a way that would make any future additions simple, should funding improve at a later date. The present Morrill Hall consisted of 4 floors, the first of which was designed to be exhibition space for the museum. Above would be the museum offices, the geology department, and on the fourth floor the fine arts department. The main attraction, Elephant Hall, was a great success with the public. Many professional organizations began requesting the hall for luncheons, to the surprise of Barbour and other museum staff.

The move into Morrill was cause for much celebration for Barbour and C.H. Morrill, the realization of their shared vision. C.H. Morrill's children took an active interest in their father's causes and continued to provide support for the museum.