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Earth in Layers

How old are rocks? Where do fossils come from? What is topography and what do the contour lines on a map represent? Discover how different layers of the earth reveal answers to these questions through our augmented reality sandbox and fossil display. Fossil collection curated and donated by Bill MacBride.

Exhibit Gallery

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Other Exhibits

Building Brainstorm

Calling All Young Architects!

Building Brainstorm features hands-on activities that explore the creative architectural design process and encourage collaborative problem-solving. Plan a dream home or a dog house, build a skyscraper model, find the best layout of an apartment model’s rooms and furniture, and much more. This area also features our Rigamajig — a collection of wooden planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts, bolts and rope which allows visitors to follow their curiosity through play. Building Brainstorm is generously supported by CS Structures, Morrison-Maierle Systems, and A&E Architects.

Native Fish Pond

Get Hooked on Fishing

Cast your line, measure your catch, then find out which native Montana fish you caught. Learn about the difference between Montana's aquatic salamanders and our very own Mexican axolotl. Or wander over to the 125 gallon aquarium to get a close up view of some colorful koi. Special thanks to Crystal Clear Aquariums for their support!

Dangerous Nature

Killer or Cure?

From spiders and snakes to mushrooms and oleander, the list of nature’s toxic tenants is long and diverse. Nearly every group of the animal kingdom — and many more in the plant kingdom — are represented by species that produce toxins, in the form of either poison or venom. What's the difference between poison and venom and why are they important in medicine? Visitor challenge: see if you can find our four resident poison dart frogs hiding in their vivarium.