Studies on a wide variety of fungi indicate that freeze-drying is a convenient and practical method of preserving field-collected fruiting bodies, cultures, and diseased specimens for class use. Freeze-dried specimens retain their natural shape and morphological and staining characteristics, although some bright colors fade slightly. Tests with students show that they find freeze-dried specimens more interesting and easier to work with than air-dried materials. This technique should also be useful for preserving herbarium specimens.