Schmaltz Geology Museum and Dinosaur Park

  • A photo of the exterior of the Schmaltz Museum

    The Lloyd J. Schmaltz Geology and Mineral Museum ranks high on students' lists of favorite places on campus. The museum houses 40 exhibits and contains nearly 600 specimens, making it the most extensive collection of its kind in southwest Michigan.

  • Museum founder and a former student stand next to a coelacanth exhibit

    Dr. Lloyd Schmaltz and former student, Dr. Julie Stein, stand with the coelacanth exhibit they prepared for the museum together in the 1970s. Dr. Stein is now the executive director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle.

  • A shark jaw is pictured

    Among its many collections, the Schmaltz Geology and Mineral Museum includes the highly popular Kelley Collection of Modern and Fossil Shark Teeth.

  • A child looks at minerals in the museum

    The Schmaltz Museum's collection of minerals is a regular stop on campus tours. It also provides instructional opportunities for young geologists, like these CoreKids students.

  • The augmented reality sandbox is pictured

    The Augmented Reality Sandbox is the newest addition to the Schmaltz Museum. The ARS is an interactive feature that allows visitors to learn about geography, geology and hydrology through manipulating the sand and observing the resulting features.

The Lloyd J. Schmaltz Geology and Mineral Museum displays an impressive collection of rocks, minerals and fossils from Michigan and throughout the world. The Museum includes the Dinosaur Park, an outdoor display of dinosaur replicas from the Mesozoic Era. 



Museum Collections

  • The Kelley Collection of fossil and modern shark teeth
  • The James Duncan mineral and agate collections
  • A Michigan copper boulder
  • An ultraviolet fluorescent display
  • Mastodon fossils from Van Buren County, MI
  • World-class fossil and mineral specimens
  • An interactive augmented reality sandbox
  • Seven scale model replicas of dinosaurs including utahraptor, spinosaurus, triceratops, parasaurolophus, stegosaurus, and brachiosaurus.

Visit the museum and dinosaur park

Museum Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except for holidays and university closures). Visitors are asked to be considerate of classes in session in the building. The outdoor rock garden and Dinosaur Park welcome visitors at any time. 
Location: The Museum is located on the first floor of Rood Hall. The outdoor Dinosaur Park is located behind Rood Hall and Lee Honors College.
Parking:  The closest parking lot is behind Sangren Hall or near the Bernhard Center. Please park at the meters. 

Cost: Free!
More information:
 Contact Tom Howe.
Updates: Follow the museum on Facebook.

MUSEUM DEVELOPMENT