Mesalands Community College - What’s On Exhibit

Life-Sized Bronze Skeletons and Fossils

The Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of bronze skeletons and fossils. The bronze skeletons were created by Mesalands’ staff and students at the College’s own foundry. The Museum was the first in the world to display a Torvorsaurus skeleton. Throughout the Exhibit Hall, visitors will see a variety of original art work including: life-sized dinosaur sculptures, paintings, and wall murals.

New Exhibit

Our most recent exhibit features Eocene specimens donated by the family of the late Howard Shanks. Mr. Shanks was a historian, paleontologist, mineralogist, and genealogist who worked at the Ames Laboratory and the Microelectronics Research Center in Ames, Iowa. The 50 million-year-old specimens are leaves, fish, and insects from the Green River Formation, located in the western United States.

For the Kids

Our child-friendly museum hosts an activity center with seating available for parents and grandparents. Children will enjoy the tactile interaction with our many touchable exhibits. These exhibits are each identified with a green hand.