Sunlight plays on the main staircase at the MSU Museum. The museum, initiated in 1857, is one of the oldest museums in the Midwest and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. In 2001, the MSU Museum became the first museum in the state to receive Smithsonian affiliate status from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the world's largest museum and research complex, thereby giving the MSU Museum broader access to Smithsonian cultural and scientific resources. The museum will be featured in the upcoming winter 2016 issue of the MSU Alumni Magazine. Photo by Kurt Stepnitz