ISRIC houses the World Soil Museum in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The 200 m² hall displays soil profiles including pictures of landscapes, land-use and soil management aspects. It is an unique museum showing some 80 soil profiles from all over the world including information on their chemical and physical properties, land-use and soil management constraints. The total soil profile collection from ISRIC is over 900.

The World Soil Museum is a key asset and it has a scientific and educational value. It shows the use and aesthetics of soils for a more general public. Above all the Museum displays the wide range of soils in the world with their different properties and management requirements. Visitors to the Museum include:

• primary school children

• secondary and high school students

• university students in the natural resources sciences, including agriculture, biology, ecology, environment, forestry, geography and soil science

• researchers and managers from national and international organisations

• specialised study groups

• general public

Currently we are working on a web based version of the World Soil Museum that is called the Virtual Soil Museum. Using advanced technologies and the possibility to add vast amounts of background information on the web which is not possible in the current museum, we aim to serve the wider community of professionals and the general public interested in THE WORLD OF SOILS and THE SOILS OF THE WORLD. You are most welcome to visit the World Soil Museum and please click the ISRIC logo!

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