Postcard photo of Triceratops from the 1970s

The Science Museum of Minnesota was the first real museum I ever went to.  Back in first grade, we visited the museum and I was completely overwhelmed by the dinosaurs, the mummy, the other artifacts.... did I mention the dinosaurs?  Well, over the years, I've visited it many times... I even volunteered in the Paleo Lab for a few years as well back in the mid-1990s.  Will I volunteer again?  Only time will tell.  It was a great experience and I truly enjoyed it.  The museum moved in 1999 to a new larger building on the waterfront in Downtown St. Paul.  I have photos of the dinosaurs in their new homes at the new location, and photos I took from the mid 1990s from the old museum building.  Just click on the picture for the full size photo.

2004-2005 PHOTOGRAPHS

The museum's Triceratops - discovered by Paleontologist Bruce Erickson in 1959 in Northeastern Montana - This is a composite skeleton made up of two individual Triceratops, it's about 80-85% real fossil bone, making this one of the best preserved Triceratops in the world.

Tyrannosaurus rex - skull replica with movable jaws (a feature added when the museum moved in 1999) - and a vintage reconstruction of a T. rex - the skull is a cast replica from the American Museum of Natural History's Tyrannosaur fossil.

Mosasaurus - an aquatic reptile of the Cretaceous Period

The 82 foot long Diplodocus came from the museum's Poison Creek Quarry.  It was excavated in the 1970s and 1980s and has about 65% real fossil bone used in the mount, it was placed on display at the old location in 1990.

Stegosaurus - The museum added this cast replica when they moved in 1999.

Another shot of the stegosaur

Camptosaurus and Allosaurus - The Camptosaur is around 65% real bone and is the largest Camptosaur yet found.  It was collected at the Poison Creek Quarry the Science Museum had back in Wyoming.  The Allosaurus is about 50% real bone and was purchased from the University of Utah.  It stood in the old museum for many years.  The Camptosaurus lying down in a death pose is a cast replica.

Compsognathus (model created by Bruce Erickson), and Glyptodon (an armored mammel) with a Terror Bird

Animated T. rex skeleton in the museum's lobby

1993-1994 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM BEFORE THE MOVE IN 1999

The Triceratops in it's original location at the museum

T. rex skull (Cast from AMNR) and the museum's Diplodocus

Allosaurus, and a shot of the Diplodocus' skull

Mosasaurus and Pteranodon

Crocodiles!  Gavialosuchus - a large crocodile from South Carolina (28 MYA), and Leidyosuchus from the museum's Wannagan Creek dig in North Dakota (60 MYA).

Camptosaurus in the left photo, Compsognathus on the right (model created by Bruce Erickson)

Dromaeosaur (related to Velociraptor and Deinonychus)on a Centrosaur Skull, and a full size T. rex replica on display from the Jurassic Park Traveling Exhibit from the summer of 1994.

On the left is Dimetrodon, from the Permian Period.  It's actually more related to mammals than dinosaurs.  It's in a 1/2 mount style, typical of "old school" museum styles from the 1960's and earlier.  On the right, is Xiphactinus, a 14 foot long Cretaceous fish collected in Kansas.  There is a shark tooth embedded on the outside of one of it's ribs.  You can't really see it in the photo, so you'll have to trust me.