Address and Phone:
St Hwy 75
Gray, TN 37615
City: Gray, TN
Region: East Tennessee
It’s a fossil adventure 5 million years in the making! Discover saber-toothed cat, short-faced bear, ground sloth, rhino, alligator, camel, shovel-tusked elephant, Eurasian badger, the world’s largest collection of fossil tapirs, and the world’s only near-complete fossil red panda!
The ETSU and General Shale Brick Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site is dedicated to understanding, preserving and interpreting biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians through time, using an interdisciplinary approach. The Gray Fossil Site covers more than five acres, a Miocene site dated at 4.5 to 7 million years old, containing fossilized remains of an entire ecosystem of plants and animals.
A series of sinkholes, formed from a collapsed cave, created a watering hole that drew animals from near and far. For some unlucky animals, the sinkhole became a trap that preserved them as fossils for the ages.
With less than 2 percent of the site excavated, thousands of fossil specimens have already been recovered!
The Museum is open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5p.m. and offers numerous educational and outreach programs, activities, and special lectures, as well as new temporary exhibits each season. Join in on hourly guided tours of upstairs exhibits, on-site research laboratory and collections, the dig site outside and dry screening activity stations!
From Interstate 81, take Interstate 26 south to the Gray exit 13 (Hwy 75) Turn left (south) at the light. The Fossil Site and Museum is approximately 1.8 miles south on the left.
Get turn-by-turn direction using the interactive map above.
Looking for a day of fun and frolic? Here’s a quick list of nearby attractions that you may enjoy.
Looking for a place to rest between adventures? Here’s a quick list of nearby places to stay.
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Date: Nov 21, 2009 - Nov 22, 2009
Centennial Holiday Show
Location: Franklin, TN
Date: Nov 20, 2009 - Nov 22, 2009
32nd Annual Santa's Workshop
Location: Cookeville, TN
Date: Nov 20, 2009 - Nov 22, 2009
7th Annual Stoddart Open House
Location: Crawford, TN
Date: Nov 10, 2009 - Nov 22, 2009
6th Annual Trees of Christmas
Location: Lawrenceburg, TN
See more November events »
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