Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College - Amherst, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 22.310 W 072° 31.056
18T E 704391 N 4694046
The Beneski Natural History Museum contains many fossils and petrified wood samples that include the dinosaur footprints collected from area land by Edward Hitchcock and others.
Waymark Code: WMT47X
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2016
Views: 1
In Amherst, on the campus of Amherst College, is the Beneski Museum of Natural History.
The museum is in the Beneski Earth Sciences Building. To get there, from the center of Amherst, go east on Mass. Route 9 for a short distance to a sign for the museum, then turn right and follow the road to the building on the right. Parking may be tough as currently (2016), a new science building is being built nearby, and there is no large parking lot.
The museum is on three floors of the building. The main entrance is on the second, where there are full skeletons on display of animals such as mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and a large deer. Also on the floor are drawers that have fossils, such as dinosaur eggs, and impressions of fish. The first floor has more skeletons - many of dinosaurs, as well as some great examples of petrified wood. However, in a separate room, are slabs of rock that are hardened stream beds with footprints of dinosaurs. Many of these stream beds were obtained in the Connecticut River Valley. The third floor had more geological displays. One was a three dimensional map of the area during one period of the ice age.
There is so much to see. And its free! We spent an hour and a half and barely covered it, especially since we were talking at length with one of the konwledgable staff people there.
From the web site:
"History of the Collections
Expedition of 1911 The extensive and diverse collections at the Beneski Museum are the result of the work of faculty, students and alumni over the course of the College’s history, derived from expeditions, donations and exchanges.
The physical and biological sciences have been a vital part of the Amherst College curriculum from the time of its founding 1821. Providing natural history specimens for direct hands-on study has been an integral component of teaching, learning and research in the sciences ever since.
Five Amherst professors in particular helped shape the museum’s collection into what it is today..."
The five are: Edward Hitchcock, an early geologist; Charles Upham Shephard; Benjamin K. Emerson; Frederic Loomis; and Albert T. Wood.
Hours:
Open to the public:
Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed Monday
Address:
Beneski Building
11 Barrett Hill Road
Amherst, MA 01002
What kinds of fossils are found here:
A sampling includes fossil bones and skeletons, impressions in rocks, petrified wood, and fossil stream beds with dinosaur footprints.
Admission Fee: no
Link for more information about this site: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:At least one good photo you have personally obtained and a brief story of your visit. Any additions or corrections to the information about the Waymark (for instance, have the hours open to the public changed) will be greatly appreciated.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|