Fossil Lab

Visitors enjoy the fossil lab.
Visitors learning about the Paleontology Program at Florissant Fossil Beds.
NPS Photo by Sheena Grabski
 
Volunteer Dr. Bob Carnein demonstrates splitting shale.

NPS Photo by Sheena Grabski<br />

Volunteer Dr. Bob Carnein demonstrates how the Paleontology department splits shale to find delicate carbon impression fossils.

 

Visit our Shale Fossil Lab in the Yurt tent from 1:00 - 3:00pm daily.

 

Help a Ranger release a fossil imprisoned for 34 million years!

 

Free them so they can enrich our story of Ancient Florissant. 

 

Take "Paleontology 101" and learn how our Paleontology department excavates the shale beds and how they split the shale to find wonderful fossils. Try to identify a new discovery and learn how we prepare each fossil to become part of our collection.

Did You Know?

Photo of 14 foot wide, 12 foot tall petrified tree stump of a redwood

The massive petrified redwood stump known as the "Big Stump" is not actually the largest diamter stump at Florissant Fossil Beds. The "Big Stump" measures 38 feet in circumference, but the biggest stump is over 41 feet.