Texas Memorial Museum
Exhibits: Hall of Geology and Paleontology
Paleo Lab
The Paleo Lab is a unique working laboratory where visitors are encouraged to interact with and ask questions of a paleontologist while seeing first-hand how fossils are properly prepared, catalogued, and studied. Several “touch specimens,” real fossils that may be handled by visitors, are available.
Paleo Lab paleontologists provide identifications of personal fossil finds by appointment. (Appointments will be unavailable June 14th through August 31st. Bring your fossils and other natural objects to our August 24th ID Day for free identification by UT scientists and other experts.)
The Paleo Lab is located at the Texas Memorial Museum, the exhibit hall of the Texas Natural Science Center. The Museum is located at 2400 Trinity Street, on The University of Texas at Austin campus, in Austin, Texas. Visitor Info
Current Major Projects:
- Preparation of 200 million year old (Early Jurassic) bones of the theropod dinosaur, Dilophosaurus, and other vertebrates from Coconino County, Arizona.
- Preparation of 220 million year old (Late Triassic) vertebrate fossils from Apache County, Arizona.
- Picking and sorting remains of a 160–113 thousand year old (middle-late Pleistocene) cave fauna from Cathedral Cave, White Pine County, Nevada.
Operating Schedule:
The Paleo Lab is staffed during regular Museum hours, including special event days. However, please note that the Paleo Lab will be closed on the following days:
Saturdays, July 12th and 19th
Monday and Tuesday, July 21st and 22nd, 9am until 11:30am
Saturday and Sunday, July 26th and 27th
