Sternberg Museum of Natural History Museum

The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in Hays, Kansas, affiliated with Fort Hays State University and known for its paleontology holdings. It serves as a regional center for the study and display of fossils from the surrounding plains.

Exhibits concentrate on regional geology and paleontology, with a focus on fossil specimens collected from Kansas and nearby areas, including marine reptiles and other well-preserved fossils. Interpretive displays explain the local geologic record and the prehistoric environments that produced the museum’s collections.

The museum’s collections grew from fossils assembled by the Sternberg family of collectors and paleontologists and were later incorporated into the university museum program. The institution has developed as a teaching and research resource tied to Fort Hays State University.

Located in Hays, Kansas, the museum is situated to serve north-central Kansas and is associated with the Fort Hays State University campus.

• Signature collections: Collections include extensive regional fossil material assembled by members of the Sternberg family of paleontologists.
• Affiliation: Operated in association with Fort Hays State University and focused on the natural history and paleontology of north-central Kansas.

The Sternberg Museum is on or adjacent to the Fort Hays State University campus in Hays, Kansas. It is reachable by car from Interstate 70 via U.S. Highway 183 and is a short drive from downtown Hays.

• If interested in fossils, ask about the mounted specimens and the field-collection stories-museum staff often know where local digs occurred.
• Combine a visit with a stop at Fort Hays State University's campus for additional paleontological context.