Favorite Museum

[MOROPUS]

That's cuz inverts are pretty close to bugs... and us Yanks hate bugs. Did you ever see Starship Troopers? That's how much we hate bugs.

...but they will rule the earth, when we,as human beings, will destroy all around us!Hahahha!

My favorite museums:

USA- American Natural history museum,NY- Smithsonian one,Washington

Europe-Natural history museum,London-Instituto Geologico minero,Madrid-Natural history museum, Madrid-( and, of course)The museum I waste much of my holidays, the MMPE, specialized in marine Pliocene, with argentinian dino bones casts in their natural lenght, aswell.

Other countries-Australian national museum (display rare fossils, like the Aussie dinosaurs; the mammals from Riversleight...),Sydney-National history museum of China-Pekin

And I can`t finish this list, without pointing out the opening, this month, of one of the biggest and futuristic evolution museum in Europe; the human evolution museum (MNEH) in Burgos, near Atapuerca, the spot with the biggest number of(pre) human fossils in the whole world.

[MOROPUS]

...but they will rule the earth, when we,as human beings, will destroy all around us!Hahahha!

My favorite museums:

USA- American Natural history museum,NY- Smithsonian one,Washington

Europe-Natural history museum,London-Instituto Geologico minero,Madrid-Natural history museum, Madrid-( and, of course)The museum I waste much of my holidays, the MMPE, specialized in marine Pliocene, with argentinian dino bones casts in their natural lenght, aswell.

Other countries-Australian national museum (display rare fossils, like the Aussie dinosaurs; the mammals from Riversleight...),Sydney-National history museum of China-Pekin

And I can`t finish this list, without pointing out the opening, this month, of one of the biggest and futuristic evolution museum in Europe; the human evolution museum (MNEH) in Burgos, near Atapuerca, the spot with the biggest number of(pre) human fossils in the whole world.

By the way, I haven`t been on some of the museums, but knowing what they show...

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

I can't believe that the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Canada hasn't been mentioned!! I have been to the Smithsonian, Chicago Field, Florida M. of Natural Hist., Fick, plus a few others, and the Tyrrell is better than all for what is displayed. (I know that the Smithsonian has more in storage, but those don't count). AND, it displays the actual dinosaur fossils, not casts like many of the other museums do. I do wish they had more invert stuff on display like the Smithsonian does, but overall, it is my favorite so far.

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

[Ramo]

I almost forgot the Creation Museum I stopped at while in Kentucky last year.

[SharkTeethCollecter]

I almost forgot the Creation Museum I stopped at while in Kentucky last year.

How was it? I hear it's pretty good.

[Boneman007]

Personally I like the smaller museums. I've been lucky enough to make significant donations to the Sam Noble Museum at the University of Oklahoma as well as the Sternberg museum in Hays, KS. I also like the Museum of Science and History (It's got a new name since the Discovery Channel bought it) in Dallas, TX. It's small, but many of the fossils were recovered by amateurs in the Dallas Paleontology Society (shameless plug - www.dallaspaleo.org).

If you go to a smaller museum, don't be afraid to talk to the museum professionals. There's a chance that they may take you into the fossil stores in the basement. That's when you really get to see the incredible stuff!

[runner50]

I am a volunteer at the Kansas University's Natural History Museum's fossil prep lab so I'm going to give another of those totally unbiased replies. It's a very nice museum with 5 floors of displays. There is also no set price for coming in. Technically all they ask for is a donation of your choosing. You can spend 1 to 3 hours there easily. Unfortunately, because of budget cutbacks, there isn't always someone in the lab on weekends, but it doesn't hurt to try and see if there is anyone around to give a tour. It also wouldn't hurt to call ahead to check on times the museum is open.

[stats]

My favourite is the Field Museum in Chicago. I am a docent there

in the Evolving Planet and Sue exhibits, so it's not an unbiased

opinion. 2010 is the Sue's 10th anniversary so she is getting

quite a bit of attention right now. In addition, we have the

traveling "Mammoths and Mastodons" and Robo-Sue exhibits. Lots

of things to keep a palaeo-geek happy...

I've been to the Sternberg in Hays, KS. My family and I liked

it very much. My in-laws live in KS so we get there a few times

a year. Done quite a bit of collecting in KS over the years...

Still a newbie here, but I will post some pictures of what I've

found in the near future. Seems there are a few of you guys in

KS... Wish we had your road cuts here in Chicagoland.

Cheers,

Rich

Edited July 12, 2010 by Rich Holm

[fossil fury]

Texas Memorial Museum/it's new name. They've got some nice specimens there, though they should have more. They have a paleo lab where you see them clean fossils and read on becoming a good fossil hunter. They got some Glen Rose tracks, and I love seeing the tracks of my favorite dino. I've found a probable footprint behind it, too! Though for my sister it's the gift shop.

[Guest BOHUNTER]

Ive been to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the Campus of the University of Florida. Very interesting exhibits Native American to Fossils. Here are a few images of my visit!

Thats one fine specimen!!! That Guy is awesome!

[Auspex]

You even got a pic of their metal Titanis walleri sculpture

That boy was bad to the bone!

[siteseer]

Bohunter,

Thanks for the photos. I'm repeating myself but I like that museum too. They set up that exhibit a couple of years ago. Before that, there wasn't much. In fact, I was surprised how much stuff from Nebraska was on display (nothing against NE because great stuff comes from there too but when you're in a Florida museum, you want to see Florida material). Now, I try to visit that museum every time I'm in the area. The shark jaw case is great (more jaws out of camera range but you get the idea). The skeletons will keep vertebrate collectors happy and there's a lot of invertebrates (and more vertebrates) in wall-mounted cases that you can see in the background of the photos.

The gift shop is nice too. You can pick up various books on fossils and artifacts along with various toys.

[Ludwigia]

Hi Bohunter and thanks for the comprehensive photo report. It's nice to see such impressions, since I may never get the chance to visit a lot of the museums mentioned here.

Best wishes, Roger

[Ramo]

I went to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science today and thought I'd add a few pictures in this thread for those who haven't made it there yet. What I liked most, is that they don't have many casts. Most of the fossils are real, and some even have a note with them saying how much is actual fossil bone and how much is reconstruction.

[siteseer]

I read about this museum and the Hauff family in one of David Quammen's essays later republished in his book, "Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature." In the back of the book, he notes that the family also privately published a book about Holzmaden in 1981 and I've wondered if it's still in print.

Quammen is a good writer. His "Song of the Dodo" is perhaps the best mainstream science book I've read.

Hi,

Of course all the large national museums are exceptionally interesting and offer an endless amount of exhibitions and information, but one of my favorites is still the Urwelt Museum Hauff in Holzmaden close to Stuttgart.

http://www.urweltmuseum.de/index_eng.htm

This one was started up privately back in the 1800's and specializes in the Fauna of the Tethys Ocean of the early Jurassic which has been found in those layers in the immediate area and prepared in a meticulous and impressing fashion.

Best wishes, Roger.

[siteseer]

A general word on why museums display casts...It is often a necessity especially if we're talking about skeletons of something big like a dinosaur or a ground sloth. The bones are both too heavy and fragile to mount in an in-life pose. You have to drill through them to run metal rods for the supporting structure, and of course, this needs to be as invisible as possible to the public. This would damage the bones too much and some would shatter on top of the fact that they would be taken out of the hands of any researchers (or the skeleton needs to be taken down for study and remounted later - more risk of damage).

I don't mind seeing casts on display but think some museums could do a better job of creating and painting their casts to make them look more like actual fossils. Someone doesn't think the public will notice but at least two people here have noticed and I've seen first-year fossil preparers notice "sloppy prep" in big-time museum displays. I realize budget cuts may be to blame, but I've worked on casts too, and doing it right can be done in about the same time as doing it "good enough."

[bear-dog]

As for the Bob Campbell Geology Museum at Clemson S.C. budget cuts may be closing the doors soon.If you want to see it now's the time to visit. :sick:

[Ramo]

I don't realy mind the casts looking different from actual bone. When I look at a mount, I like to be able to see what was actually found, and what they had to add. If the mount is a complete cast, I prefer it too look like actual bone. Here is an X-fish skull that is in Minnesota, I kind of like the way they didn't try to make the reconstructed parts look like the actual bone.

Ramo

[Ludwigia]

I read about this museum and the Hauff family in one of David Quammen's essays later republished in his book, "Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature." In the back of the book, he notes that the family also privately published a book about Holzmaden in 1981 and I've wondered if it's still in print.

Quammen is a good writer. His "Song of the Dodo" is perhaps the best mainstream science book I've read.

Here's a link to the museum shop with the book under the articles. I'm afraid it's all in German. They do have an english version, but the bit about the book isn't translated, which probably means that it's only available in German.

http://www.urweltmuseum.de/shop/museum.htm

Best wishes, Roger

[fossilis]

Here is my favorite museum. American paleontologists call it "The museum of museums".

The Natural History Museum of Paris (Black and Withe photography).

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php/topic/1752-visit-the-natural-history-museum-of-paris/

A message realized with my old name on the fossil forum.

Edited July 27, 2010 by fossilis

[32fordboy]

I absolutely love the Denver museum. However, they could go through all their written info by the displays and make the info a little more accurate and thorough. Maybe that's a common problem among museums, though--gotta keep the displays simple and quick to read, I suppose

[fossilis]

No other presentations?

The Natural History Museum of Paris

Assembly of the Diplodocus offered by Mr. Andrew Carnegie and inaugurated on June 15th, 1908 by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Armand Fallieres, who could never make his discourses so the dinosaur had impressed him. The newspapers mocked him !

[fossiljunkie]

the museum of natural history in new york is my favorite. i used to visit there with my family on a regular basis when i was 5-10 years old before we moved. it was a time when the family would do so many different things together.

i remember thinking the museum was the coolest place in the world and i was obsessed with dinosaurs at that time. the museum visits probably was the initial trigger to my interest in science and fossils. i hope to visit again someday soon.

[grampa dino]

I still say the best is The Royal Tyrrell Museum , Drumheller, Alberta ,Canada

That is if you like dinosaurs

[sue in ohio]

#1) will have to be PRI-Museum of the Earth just north of Ithaca, NY..I just love stopping in there when I'm in the area .. http://www.museumoftheearth.org

#2) would be Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA ... http://www.ansp.org

and I must do a plug for this tiny, little known museum very near where I live in the mountains of north-central PA, that is over seen by Acad Nat Sci Phila's own Dr. Ted Daeschler and local resident expert Doug Rowe, Red Hill.. home to North America's oldest known Tetrapods. Some of you are fimilar with this site and have made trips to visit it.

http://oak.kcsd.k12.pa.us/~renovohp/dig/index.html -Red Hill

http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/pages/who.html - list of vertebrates, invertebrates and plant fossils found thus far