St. Louis Prehistoric Life Show

The St. Louis Prehistoric Life Show (SLPLS) is a FREE, one-day paleontology pop-up event bringing together scientists, artists, collectors, and curious guests of all ages for a day of hands-on exploration. Hosted at the Saint Louis Science Center, the event features exhibitors from across the region and beyond — including museums, universities, fossil clubs, and science organizations — offering interactive activities, specimen displays, live demonstrations, and a speaker series.

Highlights of this event will include:

• Original documents and correspondence behind the designation of Missouri’s official State Fossil, the crinoid
• Lola, a 12-foot Tyrannosaurus skull sculpture handcrafted by St. Louis Community College student artist Nicki Conaway in 2009, featured in Smithsonian magazine
• A rotating schedule of talks and live demonstrations led by scientists, educators, and working fossil hunters
• A rare opportunity to view fossils from private collections, including exceptional regional specimens and material gathered around the world
• A chance to have experts evaluate your finds at the “Is It a Fossil?” station
• The Fossil Trading Post, a family-friendly swap station where you can bring a toy dinosaur, take a toy dinosaur, while supplies last.

This event will happen on the lower level of the Saint Louis Science Center

Partner Organizations:

Partner organizations include the Eastern Missouri Society for Paleontology (EMSP), a St. Louis-based fossil club founded in 1969; the Missouri Ozark Dinosaur project (MODP), stewards of the Chronister Site, where Missouri’s dinosaur, Parrosaurus missouriensis, was unearthed; the Sainte Geneviève Museum Learning Center, the official Missouri Dinosaur Visitor Site; and Paleoheritage, a Missouri nonprofit dedicated to documenting and stewarding the fossil record and the human stories surrounding it.

The St. Louis Prehistoric Life Show is an independent community event hosted in partnership with the Saint Louis Science Center.