Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
About
Part of the Fort Hays State University, the museum is dedicated to collecting and preserving plant and animal specimens pertaining to the Great Plains.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
235 reviews
Excellent
171
Very good
49
Average
13
Poor
2
Terrible
0
hgb001
Bradford, OH29 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
We lived in Hays for three years in the 1980s but never visited the museum. Now passing through town, we decided to stop. The museum been in its new home since 1997. It was nice and cool on a hot Kansas day. The exhibits are impressive and well done. It is very much worth seeing.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tom O
Shenandoah Valley73 contributions
Dec 2024 • Solo
If you are a fossil buff, or a herpetophile, and you are driving on I-70 through Kansas, this is a must stop for you. There are lots of fossils, mineral/geology displays, a pair of spur-thighed tortoises, a collection of 22 rattlesnakes and a nice dinosaur diorama. Child friendly including discovery/play room. Clean bathrooms!
Written January 1, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Walter R
Pocatello, ID28 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
This museum should be very proud of its excellent collection of vertebrate fossils. Both dinosaurs and mammals are displayed. Their signature piece is the 'fish within a fish' which is really remarkable. I was also very impressed with the plant fossils which look like they were made yesterday. There is a mineral collection but mostly the museum is a homage to vertebrate paleontology. Also the museum is housed in a monolithic dome which is cool.
Written May 22, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gildobie
Rogers, AR21 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
I wasn't expecting much of this dome shaped museum. But it is an enjoyable experience especially if you like pre-historic animals and history.They have some great exhibits that kids and adults will like viewing. This museum would be at home into any major city in the United States. It is a gem for for Ft. Hays Kansas. Right off the main highway. Worth a stop. Cost is reasonable too.
Written July 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wapsieyorkies
Quasqueton, IA25 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
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.
Written February 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J B
St Louis28 contributions
Jan 2015 • Solo
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.
Written January 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KJS1974
Garden City, KS29 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
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.
Written August 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clarman
Manhattan, KS34 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
I have known about this museum for quite some time, so it is no surprise to me—but if you don't know about it and have any interest in paleontology, fossils, and/or dinosaurs, you will be amazed! This museum displays the famous "fish-within-a-fish" specimen discovered by Charles Sternberg, as well as several other spectacular finds of his. Temporary visits are frequently changed, and are often quite amazing—a couple of years ago, the museum housed a spectacular temporary exhibit featuring dinosaurs from Africa! The top floor of the museum contains a diorama featuring a large and loud animatronic T-Rex! Young kids are either terrified of it or love it! All in all, the museum is a superb value for the money and is a great way to break up a long trip along Interstate 70 in Kansas!
Written March 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
p e
Runaway Bay, Australia211 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
Possibly a few dollars too much for entry but still worthwhile. Watch out for T. Rex as you pass by, she may get upset
Written October 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shauna R
Dodge City, KS42 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
We had a membership when our kids were little, and my mom used to be a docent at the Sternberg. The kids and their cousins are all teens or older and still like visiting the museum. They feature traveling exhibits regularly.
Written August 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Any age child will really love it. There is a room specifically set up for younger kids to explore with their hands, eyes, ears. My children started going there when they were really young and they thought it was the greatest and we still go today and they are in their twenties.
Written April 18, 2016
1409lady
Mason City, Iowa
How much time should we allow to spend at the museum? (For two adults and 1st grader)
We are considering stopping as a break on our way from MO to Colorado so need to figure out how much time we would want to add.
Thanks!
Written January 10, 2015
We got there early in the morning and were the only people there so was able to explore everything in a couple hours. If you're there at a busier time I'd allow more time as your kids may have to wait to experience the more hands on exhibits.
Written January 12, 2015
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