Visit a science museum or the geology department of a local university that has fossils on display. With your parent or guardian’s and counselor’s approval, before you go, make an appointment with a curator or guide who can show you how the fossils are preserved and prepared for display.
Museums and university collections show fossils in context. Instead of one specimen in your hand, you may see how fossils are labeled, compared, prepared, and preserved for research or education.
What to Look For
How are fossils cleaned and stabilized?
What labels explain age, formation, or habitat?
How are fragile specimens supported for display?
What clues help experts identify the fossil?
How does the display connect specimens to environments or extinction events?
Questions for a Curator or Guide
A few strong questions go a long way
How was this fossil prepared?
How do you keep it from breaking down over time?
How do you know how old it is?
What does this fossil tell us about its environment?