Events at the Museum of Geology
Special Events
100th Anniversary Celebration
Join us as we celebrate the Museum of Geology's 100th anniversary being open to the public! Although we were founded in 1885, we didn't open our doors to the public until the summer of 1923. This special event will include fun activities for all ages
and booths from some of our local and federal partners! The event will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2023, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Recurring Events
Weekly Book Reading
Join our volunteer Claudia weekly in the Kid's Zone from 2:30 - 3:30 Friday afternoons for stories and an activity. Get your "Scientist in Training" badge stamped each week to earn a special button. This event occurs every Friday through April 22nd.
This activity is free and open to all ages. For more information check out the Facebook event here.
Museum Tours
We are happy to provide insightful tours of the Museum for groups and visitors during normal business hours! Join us to go back in time and learn about the land of the dinosaurs, the Badlands and even South Dakota geology. To ensure that a trained tour
guide is available for your visit, please call the Museum at (605) 394-2467 to schedule. Tours outside of regular hours can be scheduled by request, contact the Assistant Director for scheduling.
Annual Events
Rock, Fossil & Mineral ID Day
This event is held twice a year. Our spring 2023 Rock and Fossil ID Day will be on Saturday, February 18th from 1:30 - 4:30pm. Our fall 2023 Rock and Fossil ID Day will be on Saturday, September 23rd 1:30-4:30pm
Interested in identifying your fossils, rocks and minerals? This day is for you! Please join us at the Museum as the Museum staff and Paleo Club students assist in your identification needs! As a note, we are not able to tell you the monetary value
of an item.
Dino Eggstravaganza
This event is held annually and will be held on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 from 1:30 - 4:30pm.
This family friendly event allows kids to engage with School of Mines students doing fun activities from pin the tail on the dinosaur to paleo themed treasure hunts!
National Fossil Day
National Fossil Day occurs on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 and we will be celebrating all day (9:00 am - 4:30 pm). Let's celebrate National Fossil Day together! We will have booths from our partners with information and special activities to celebrate
the day!
Night at the Museum
This event occurs annually and will be on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 from 1:30 - 4:30pm.
Children can come trick or treat in a safe environment while learning about ancient marine reptiles, flying reptiles, prehistoric mammals, and rocks through games and hands-on educational activities. The staff and volunteers dress up as well making this
a free and fun event for all ages! A donation of $5.00 is suggested per family and supports the Museum and Paleontology Club. This year's event will have activities in both the Museum of Geology and the Paleontology Research Laboratory.