With Countless Fossils And Specimens, This Small Town Museum In South Dakota Is A True Hidden Gem
By Tori Jane|Published June 14, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Hidden away in a small town known as Hot Springs, South Dakota, is an absolutely jaw-dropping museum that truly does not get the love it deserves. It’s an amazing trip back in time, to when our world was a much, much different place. Through the awesomeness of science, though, we have ways of learning entire stories via bones, fossils, and geological records. The World Fossil Finders Museum is an amazing place with an amazing array of artifacts and plenty of stories to tell. I think it’s one of the best museums in South Dakota, and everyone ought to check it out at least once!
Welcome to an amazing warehouse full of absolutely awesome artifacts from lives lived long ago.
It's the World Fossil Finder Museum, and here, you'll find fossils from numerous time periods, the last American mastodon, and even the largest Tylosaurus ever discovered in South Dakota.
Whether you're coming on your own or you're bringing the whole family, it's sure to be a fun adventure no matter what.
It's not every day you get to come face-to-face with creatures that lived and died a very long time ago - when was the last time you saw a dinosaur skeleton in person?
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Of course, there are fossils of all sorts of critters - many more than just dinosaurs! You never know who - or what - you'll meet here.
You'd be amazed at what geological and archaeological records can (and do) tell us about the Earth, its history, and animals that used to live here (and elsewhere).
It's the perfect combination of fun and educational, and you're sure to leave with some new nuggets of knowledge every time you come back.
The science of paleontology is explored in depth; it's a multi-faceted learning experience that's sure to leave you hoping to come back sooner rather than later.
The museum also offers summer camp and field trip opportunities for kids, too, so if you're an educator or parent, it's well worth keeping in mind for future excursions.
The kids will love learning about this stuff as much as you do - after all, it IS super cool, and like I said, it's not every day you get to look a T-rex in the face.
Explore history like never before at the amazing World Fossil Finder Museum: It's unlike any adventure you've ever had - and it's right here in our backyards.
For the most up-to-date hours and info (do keep in mind that hours vary depending on the season), be sure to check out the official World Fossil Finders Museum website. Which fossils fascinate you the most? Let me know in the comments!
Love this little place? Be sure to check out some of the other awesome museums in South Dakota, too!
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