In 1971 the museum celebrated its centennial anniversary. This marked 100 years of research in the fields of geology and paleontology in Nebraska. As a result, museum funding recieved a bit of a boost from the board of regents. New collections in the anthropology department expanded the scope of the museum, including cultural artifacts from across the globe.

In 1972, the first of a series thereafter known as the Barbour-Schramm Memorial Lectures began. These lectures were typically over natural history subjects that the museum had provided research on, and were given to honor both E.H. Barbour and E.F. Schramm, both men who had been long associated with the museum. These lectures were typically over natual history subjects, and continue to this day.

A new exhibit brought in crowds in 1976. Morrill Hall hosted a new dianosaur display, including an Allosaurus model and three mounted fossil skeletons, including a stegosaurus. This new exhibit led to massive increase in school field trips and in visitors overall, a boon to the museum. The exhibit took over a year to complete, and required cooperation between many departments of the museum, however, it was well recieved by the public, and some of the cast models still are on exhibit today (with updates on anatomy that were a result of continued research). Dinosaurs captured the imagination of the public and led to an increase in donations to the museum.

The field of anthropology recieved more exhibit room in the museum, including expanded displays on projectile points common to Nebraska, and a new exhibit in 1979 on Native American art. This art exhibit featured everything from ceramics to baskets. Some of the artifacts were historical, others were from modern Native American artists.