Regional Tourism Center Fossil Exhibit

My name is Bev and I am a fossil hunter! I have a lifelong passion for history and rock hounding. Last year I had a stone deck/retaining wall installed that was heavily fossilized. This re-ignited my passion for learning about fossils.

Today I setup a fossil display at the Southeast Minnesota Historic Bluff Country Regional Tourism Center in Rushford.

This is part of a “Fossil Trail” in Bluff Country that includes exhibits at:

Houston Nature Center of fossilized Woolly Mammoth teeth and a giant bison skull accompanied by many other exhibits.

Fillmore County History Center in Fountain, exhibiting a number of large cephalopods directly across from the Native American artifacts display! The museum is free, but donations are appreciated!

Fillmore County History Center has a display of large cephalopods – Fountain.

Harmony Visitor Center exhibiting a Five Foot Cephalopod, Karst Topography display, and just down the Bike Trail a Sink Hole exhibit.

Niagara Cave, just outside of Harmony, fossil exhibit, rock shop, and one of the top Ten Caves in the United States.

Culminating in an Extensive Fossil Exhibit and Cave Formation display at the Forestville/Mystery Cave Office.

Maple Springs Campground located at the entrance to Forestville State Park has a State Fair Quality Fossil Exhibit!

Maple Springs abandoned quarry.

Road Cut just west of Maple Springs Campground.

AND coming in July of 2014 FossilFest in Harmony!

Here is a closeup of my exhibit in a three foot long aquarium. 🙂

It includes the most common fossils you will find in Bluff Country (all collected in the last 9 months!)… With fossil art by the renowned artist Mike Menasco of theartisticindulgence.com and also on facebook.

Cephalopods: In front, this one is a Westonoceras minnesotens (I was walking along and picked it up as is!)  and a straight nautiloid that is crystallized in the middle!

Brachiopods: This one is so nice! A Strophemena planoconvex.

Receptaculitids: Full and in cross sections. Round is Ischadites iowensis.

Gastropods: Love the Maclurites! Also Hormotomas and Liospira–again, picked up as is!

Horn Corals

A “hash plate” or “death plate” of bryozoa (think twigs & branches), brachiopods and bivalves (shells & clams).

Crinoids: Pieces and “Indian beads” –single segments.

Graptolites: Climacograptus sp.

Trilobites: Isotelus simplex pygidium (tail) (can grow to be 2 feet!) & Anataphrus borraeus.

I am a rank amateur compared to so many of the members of thefossilforum.com

I will be updating this blog probably weekly with my adventures fossil hunting, past and present. If you hunt in southeast Minnesota, PLEASE feel free to send me information, pictures and trophies to post at bcfossillady at gmail dot com

UPDATE!

The Regional Tourism Center nolonger has a fossil exhibit, but all the rest are in place as far as I know.  🙂

FYI:

Near the Visitor Center in the City of Harmony (Home to Niagara Cave and great deals on Moroccan fossils) there is talk of a fossil trail going in! And perhaps even a Rock ‘n’ Fossil Fest!