Oregon Paleo Lands Institute Center
When we went to Fossil, Oregon to dig fossils in early May, the Oregon Paleo Lands Institute Center (OPLI) wasn’t yet open for the season. We ended up passing through Fossil again in June so we made sure to stop by after seeing on their website that they were open for the year.
The small building/museum has a nice selection of properly identified local fossils and rocks. The host on duty was very friendly, knowledgeable and eager to identify finds, of which we had none, so we would highly recommend bringing in any fossils collected from the dig site for proper identification. In addition to the rock and fossil displays, OPLI also has a small assortment of geology and local history books for sale.
There is a $2/individual and $5/family suggested donation at the OPLI. The address is 333 W 4th St, Fossil, OR 97830. More information can be found at https://www.oregonpaleolandscenter.com/.
The local history museum in Fossil, aptly named The Fossil Museum, focuses on local history, but also has a decent looking display of fossils. Unfortunately, the museum was closed when we visited so we weren’t able to go in and look around, but from what we could see looking in the windows the museum would be worth a visit. The Fossil Museum is located at 501 First St, Fossil, OR 97830.