POCATELLO - The Idaho Museum of Natural History needs your help.

They're in the middle of a renovation, and are auctioning off some pretty amazing items in order to help with the cost.

The remodeling will improve a lot of the public programming already being offered, and it should get people a lot closer to the museum's vast collection. Skip Lohse, Idaho Museum of Natural History Director said, "It looks like chaos right now."

Walls are being built, murals have been taken down, and exhibits are constantly being moved around inside the museum of natural history. Lohse said, "But in the end we're going to be doing more public programming." That's thanks to some new classrooms.

Exhibits will also be changed more frequently giving patrons a chance to learn more. "They tend to think of the museum as exhibits, but the important part of the museum is the stuff behind the doors that you're not getting to see. That's where the research is done, the university teaching is done, and the way we're setting it up now the public will have access to that," said Lohse.

During the next few weeks all of the walls will be taken down helping to make the museum more open, and making it easier for visitors to see everything that's on display.

But it's only a fraction of everything the museum has in it's collection. Lohse said, "We'll be taking them into the collection ranges, and showing them actual things."

And to help pay for the project the museum will be parting with rock collections, and historical items. Mary Thompson, Earth Sciences Collection Manager said, "They're just exquisite examples."

The items were donated to the museum to be displayed, or sold if they weren't needed.

They've been offered to other museums around the country, as well, but could soon be in your home. Thompson said, "This will allow us to make those collections more secure. Maybe prep those collections, in other words clean more of the dirt, etc. off of them. And then open those collections up to maybe tours, and exhibits that would be within the collections."

The museum is hoping to raise about $15 or $20,000.

The auction will be handled by Prime Time Auctions on March 27 at the museum.

If you want to see a full list of everything they're offering click on Newslinks.