From the 5-million-year-old fossils of the Gray Fossil Site to the Hands On! Discovery Center's interactive science and art exhibits that encourage active learning, we have something for everyone! 



Step back in time 5 million years and discover the past while exploring the science of fossils and paleontology. With interactive exhibits, a dig pit, and touch-screen computer games, there is something for all ages to enjoy while learning about the prehistoric past of this region.

Explore the Ice Age fossils of Saltville, Virginia! These remains, collected by our own paleontologists, include the fossils of recently extinct species like mammoths, dire wolves, and giant short-faced bears. 

Take a stroll along the Archaeology Exhibit! Explore Native American artifacts from the local region and learn about excavations undertaken by ETSU archaeologists.

The collections room is the heart of the museum, the center of research and collection. So often these rooms are hidden behind the walls, but in our museum visitors can walk right up and peek through the glass.

Look through the windows into our state-of-the-art fossil preparation lab, where the fossils excavated outside are cleaned, reassembled, and preserved for storage and research. A rare peek behind the scenes!

Step outside and get a bird’s-eye view of the Gray Fossil Site itself. From the deck, visitors can peek at the excavation pits where our paleontologists discover fossils. Tours throughout the day take visitors out onto the site.

Get an up-close look at the unique operations of the Gray Fossil Site itself! Follow the tour guide from the fossil site outside to the labs inside and learn all about the work it takes to discover an ecosystem from 5 million years in the past.