After fossils are excavated outside, they come inside to the fossil preparation lab. Here, our paleontologists set to work preserving the fossils. On the second floor of the museum, visitors can peek into the windows of the lab and look in on what the crew is doing.

On the tables around the lab, visitors will see the various tools and materials used to clean, reassemble, and strengthen the fossils to prepare them for storage and research. Also on these tables are the fossils themselves: the bones of mastodons, tapirs, rhinos, and more, partway through the preparation process.

The people that work in this room are a combination of museum staff, university students, and volunteers. Museum guests can hear a detailed description of the work done in the lab by joining the Paleo Tours that are offered throughout each day.

Exhibit Location
Gray Fossil Site Museum - 2nd Floor