Earth Sciences
About
Dig up the past and learn about the story of planet Earth.
Explore our planet’s history and the creatures that once roamed its surface. Dig up fossils, watch a Tyrannosaurus rex plan his next meal (an unlucky Triceratops horridus), learn about past (and current) extinction events, and feel a simulated earthquake.
From Field to Finish
The stories of our dinosaur fossils begin in the late Cretaceous Period, roughly 67 million years ago. After a dinosaur’s remains are fossilized and survive millions of years of weathering, erosion, and geologic pressures, our volunteers in the field dig them up and prepare them to be studied by paleontologists. Learn about what happens to a fossil after its is unearthed!
Geology and Plate Tectonics
Ever wonder what an earthquake feels like? Explore the geology section of our Earth Sciences Gallery to make your own quake, feel a magnitude 3 shake, and learn more about the forces of tectonic plates that cause these natural phenomena.
Paleontology: Past, Present, and You.
This exhibit focuses on our relationship with past life on Earth through the fossils that are all around us. We explore how you can connect with fossils in your area and why it is important to study past life on Earth—specifically though the lens of climate change.
Visit
Membership does more.
As a nonprofit, the Saint Louis Science Center relies on memberships, donations and ticket sales to support free galleries like Earth Sciences, our education programs, community outreach and daily operation.
If you’d like to support the Science Center’s mission, learn more about membership, make a one-time gift in support of the Science Center, or get tickets to see a show.
Accessibility
Earth Sciences is accessible to visitors with disabilities, as well as visitors with strollers, scooters, and walkers. Elevators and ramps serve all public areas.