gray fossil museum

551elizabethe

We visited the Gray Fossil Museum October 3. The fossils were found on site and on loan from other places. The hands-on exhibits were fun and educational. We enjoyed reading about fossils and events. No one was working at the dig site that day, but we viewed from the observation area many bags of dirt waiting to be sifted for fossils.

East_Tennesseean

Gray fossil site is a neat place to visit, and kids would love the experience.We were very much impressed with the whole layout and the ability to walk around an active dig area.

Spacehistorian

I grew up in East Tennessee and I never imagined that our region harbored such life in the past. I was back in the area to visit family and this was my first visit to the East Tennessee State University and General Shale Natural History Museum, Gray Fossil Site. I was impressed in how a world-class, professional paleontology center with the stated mission: To discover, preserve and interpret the fossil record of the region while fostering the appreciation and understanding of natural science through research, education and interactive experiences. You start with a short film that provides an overview of the activities that led to the working museum. Then you walk through the exhibits, some which are interactive, which detail what has been learned here. You can go outside and see where the current work in being done to excavate the fossils. This is a great facility for families and students to visit.

83Stuart

What an unexpected find! We were looking for places to stop to break up the 480-mile drive from Gatlinburg to our home near Washington, DC., and the Gray Fossil Museum is at about the two-hour mark from Gatlinburg. It's easy to find by signs, although it does take one off the highway for a couple of turns and a 10-15 minute drive. It's a fantastic teaching museum for people of all ages interested in fossils. Things are presented clearly, efficiently, effectively. Kids will love the interactive exhibits in particular and seeing volunteers cleaning fossils in the lab behind the class on the second floor. It's very cool to visit the actual excavation site as well. Not expensive, especially since management gives all sorts of discounts (we ended up paying admission of $15 for a family of five!).

ladyjules79

Just came out of this AMAZING natural, protected, and active dig site. The museum is wonderful, for ALL ages. They have Miocene fossils not found anywhere else in the world. Many complete skeletons. A scientific treasure trove. If you have a young, curious explorer on your hands, all the better. My whole family is just GIDDY from being here. Do not miss this site in your travels. Last, but not least, the staff here were welcoming, kind, and passionate about the work they do, making the experience even better.

StarGazer55555

This is a small museum which has some rare kinds of fossils that are only found in this place - the red panda and tapir used to reside in this area. This is a small museum, but the tour is a must. David, our guide, was a palentologist working on the site and gave us alot of interesting information. This is a great place to take kids as it would be a good learning experience. They are always looking for volunteers to help so if you would like to dig, you can come for any period of time. We enjoyed looking at some of the cool things they had found.

sleepymama23

This group of fossils was discovered when a local highway project struck an ancient waterhole full of history. The building was built around the dig site and you can watch students, etc. digging, sorting, cleaning and cataloging specimens. There is a small fee and a small gift shop. This museum is near a high-tension power line. There are some amazing specimens that you would not expect to see in Tennessee such as a red panda and a rhinoceros.

BigJohnson1

In the area,killing time and burning gas.I have been wanting to stop here for years...Today was the day...great history lesson...staff very friendly and knowledgable...best $6.00 I spent all day.....

Sun_fun98

It was a really good fossil museum. I cannot believe these animals once roamed the area. The displays are clearly marked and the self guided tour was nice because there was no rush. The employees are very helpful, and even offer a military discount which is very thoughtful. They apparently are not opened all weekend, so check the hours before visiting to avoid disappointment.

KristinK439

Heard about this through local relatives. It was an amazing find! Our tour guide was incredible and was so excited and passionate about the site and the fossils and the process of excavation and preservation. We were there on a Saturday afternoon and there was active digging and people working in the labs that we got to observe. The museum is interesting and has lots of information. I believe this cost about $6/person and was worth the price.Truly something you won't find elsewhere!

ascrappinmom

We enjoyed our visit to the museum. A lot of fossils to look at. My daughter and I loved watching the scientists working in the lab. Watch the video at the beginning because it has a lot of info. Neat to know that a new species of red panda was discovered here and that rinos were here too.

VickiinVA

What a disappointment to take the exit, arrive at the museum and find it closed on a Sunday!!! From what we could see, it's a cool museum and we look forward to going in the future. We enjoyed looking at the rocks outside the museum. I'm posting this for anyone traveling 81 who is considering making a stop there on a Sunday or Monday. I wish the Museum's interstate sign posted that it's closed on those days. There is another museum that has an addition to their sign stating it's closed on Mondays.

Debhud

My daughter (18 yrs) and I took a day trip to Gray,TN to check out the Fossil Museum. It was a very interesting museum visit. A very knowledgeable staff, well stocked gift shop and reasonable price. We just wished there had been someone there digging that day, But the visit was during the Gov. shutdown. But it was a very interesting visit if you like fossils. Handicap assessable also. Photos are also allowed.

cd2010tn

This is an active dig site and really quite awesome to view the process of finding and piecing together the bones of animals that roamed the earth millions of years ago! Recommend this to anyone with children or just a good trip for interest. Museum is very interactive and the price is right!! It is very cool to see how students really participate in their lab. This was my 2nd visit and it was more interesting this time! The staff are great!

EdG562

Never expected to see anything like this. Just stumbled upon the signage on I-26 near Johnson City, TN while driving to our family gathering in Maryland. This is actually an active dig site for some really interesting fossil specimens. There is a modest admission fee. A short but interesting film explains the site. The exhibits are extremely well done and educational and the staff was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. The dig site is still producing specimens and there is a large laboratory area that can be viewed by visitors where specimens are researched, identified, cataloged and prepared for exhibit. Allow at least one hour but more likely around 2 to do it all and do it right.