sternberg museum of natural history

I've driven by the sign for this place for years before I finally stopped this summer. It was a fascinating place! It had stuff for adults and kids. My son can't wait to go back. It's worth the stop and admission price!

Really worth the time to see. Especially if you are into dinosaurs. Have toured this by my self and when my children were small. It is always a wonderful experience. I learn something every time I go.

Nice museum, and if you're in Hays - or in the area of Hays - then it's worth a stop if you're into museums. If you're not in the area, or if you're not a fan of museums, probably not worth the time, as it's not large, and there isn't much here that you probably haven't seen before.The staff is very friendly, and it's definitely nice to see such a place, but you aren't likely to be surprised by anything here - except perhaps for the inland sea that covered parts of Kansas. That was something I hadn't heard before (or don't recall hearing).Even if you don't like museums, you can cover this place in a relatively short period of time, so it does make for a nice break from the heat, and the admission won't break the bank.

I finally decided to stop at this museum after driving past it so many times. Exhibits are housed in the dome (visible from the interstate), with two highlights, rattlesnakes and fossils. Many (more than a dozen?) live rattlesnakes are on display with information about each species. Most of these were happily dozing, but one was crawling up the side of the cage, reminding me of the anaconda in that first Harry Potter movie. Very cool! The museum is named for a fossil collector, and his prize fossils are in the museum, including some great Cretaceous fossils. My favorites were a mosasaur (killer aquatic reptile), a slab full of crinoids (aka sea lilies), and a shark (rare, as the cartilage skeletons usually don't fossilize). Kansas was an ocean when these fossils formed, so expect ocean-dwelling creatures. Kids will love the life-size models of sea creatures and land-dwelling creatures alike (a moving and roaring T-rex!). The museum is pretty small, and can be thoroughly explored in an hour or so, and the admission price is quite reasonable.

We visited with our college age son who is as attending FHSU and 17 year old daughter. Let's face it, there really isn't a lot to do in Hays. Reviews were pretty good so we decided to check it out. It is reasonable priced and really has quite a few exhibits. It appears most of the items were found in KS. So that makes it a little more interesting, if you are from KS. We only spent about two hours going through but you could take longer if you really took time to see and read everything. Also there are some things for younger children which we didn't have with us. One interesting fact is that this museum houses one of the most photographed fossils, fish inside a fish.

This museum was a high point of our journey to Colorado through Kansas. The exhibits include life-sized dioramas, interactive displays, and--although the strength of the collection is in fossil fish--robotic dinosaurs. I looked over at my wife next to a life-sized sea reptile replica and for a moment it appeared that she was having a conversation with the Loch Ness monster. This would be a good place for school-aged children to visit. The unusual looking multistory building in which the museum is located is a former spa and gymnasium.

I wasn't sure what to expect because the friends we went with had just said that my 2 year old would have a great time and that it was a dinosaur museum. It was so much more. From rugged outdoor, dino habitat simulators, to actual dinosaur fossils, from giant animatronic dinos to a sand pit for "excavating fossils", from a live rattlesnake exhibit to a bit of Kansas history, this place was awesome! They pulled out all the stops to make the educational experience fun for adults and kids alike! The absolute best part was a learning center for kids that we could have spent hours in. It was packed with books, sample animal skins, live animal exhibits, games, puzzles, hands on activities and toy replicas of almost any animal you could think of. Do not miss this attraction when you're in Hays!!!!!

We went to Hays Kansas for a mini family reunion and had no idea this museum even existed until I was researching things to do while in Hays. The museum is an amazing gem both in its displays and overall value. There are many wonderful fossil exhibits, many having been discovered by the namesake of the museum.There are also a lot of artifacts from the early native residents. The displays are expertly labeled and appropriate for both adults and children. There is also a children's area that all of us adults enjoyed as well. One of my favorite areas was the display of about 21 live rattlesnakes from all over the country. This museum is something the citizens of Hays should be proud of. I have visited larger museums in much larger cities that lag far behind in what they have to offer. I look forward to my next opportunity to return to visit the Sternberg Museum!

This is a good place to visit for people who are interested in what existed here a long long time ago. The visit starts with an elevator ride to the 3rd floor. You start by viewing replicas of land dinosaurs that were in Colorado. Then you start seeing sea animals that were in Kansas at the time. This is followed by the bones of what you have seen.

The Sternberg Museum is interesting. There are good displays of fossils and recreations of what dinosaurs might have looked like. A nice display of living rattlesnakes. I did not know there are so many variations. Can easily do a self-guided tour since displays are fairly well marked. Probably the best known display is of the fish within a fish fossil. Museum does come solely from an evolutionary perspective. Dates are stated as pretty much a settled fact. Almost as if they had a time-stamped photo. It would be nice if they presented other possible views which might create some discussion. .

My husband and I attended with 2 of our grandchildren, ages 8 and 3. Had a great time and the kids had lots of fun.

Took my 8 yr old grandson to Sternberg for his & my first trip there. Really reasonable admission. We spent at least 2 hours there, something for every age group. Very well done displays & nice facility. Would highly recommend this museum.

Fort Hays State University owns this museum, and they have done a fabulous job. Mixture of the prehistoric and the modern. Very impressed.

My children love the museum. They love looking at the snake, fish within a fish. Not too fond of the dinosaurs but do love the fossil dig pit. The Discovery room is great with a lot of hands on things. The discovery room and the dig pit are the favorites of my children. We were given a pass for the museum and have gotten good use of it. The employees also make sure to check and see if everything is going ok. There is one in my pictures here of one of the employees helping them in the dig pit.The nature trail is great for us. The kids love looking at all the plants, trees ext. We see something different almost every time we go. The kids love that they can pick which direction they want to go on the trails. Love that it's FREE....

Great exhibits - very interesting! The staff was knowledgeable and helpful. Excellent hands-on opportunities for kids and great resources.