Sternberg Museum



One of the most famous fossils at the Sternberg Museum in Hays.

Many of the displays at the museum are very realistic as seen in the photos above and below.

Make no bones about it, the Sternberg Museum in Hays ranks among the best natural history museums in the country in terms of scientific holdings.

The museum is home to one of the top collections of Cretaceous marine and Neogene terrestrial vertebrate fossils. It also features an excellent assembly of Pteranodon material, the largest collection of fossil grass seeds and an assortment of modern biological material, mammals, reptiles and plants.

Perhaps its most famous display is an exceptionally well-preserved Gillicus within a Xiphactinus, or better known as the Fish-within-a-Fish. The unique find was discovered by the museum’s namesake George F. Sternberg and shows a large 14-foot fish with its last meal, a six-foot fish, fully intact inside of it.

Other attractions include a realistic Cretaceous diorama (watch out for the T-rex!) and a fossil dig pit. Many areas of the museum encourage hands-on interaction including its Discovery Room, where visitors can explore drawers full of touchable specimens from the Great Plains, climb on Charlotte the Spider and view a variety of live animal exhibits, including native snakes, turtles, lizards and fish.

In addition to its permanent displays, the Sternberg also hosts temporary exhibits and various events throughout the year. Visit the museum website at http://sternberg.fhsu.edu for more exhibition and event information.

What will you discover under the dome at the Sternberg Museum?