Jim Pollard stands by a display of a tyrannosaur skeleton at the new Southern Minnesota Museum of Natural History. The museum, located in downtown Blue Earth, is opening its doors to the public on July 1.

After months and months of planning, there is a new museum about to open in Blue Earth. And yes, this new museum will indeed have dinosaurs in it.

Shortly after the Fossil Discovery Center left the Blue Earth Community Library about a year ago, a group of local people formed a committee to see what could be done to find a new home for the fossils that had been on display.

The result is a brand new Southern Minnesota Museum of Natural History that will open up on Monday, July 1. It is located in the former B.S. Studio building on Blue Earth’s Main Street.

It is planned to have the museum open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. seven days a week for the summer.

The group, which started out as a committee, eventually formed itself into a corporation and began looking in earnest for a possible site for the new museum.

“We looked at a lot of buildings as possible sites,” Randy Anderson, who is on the board of directors of the corporation says. “Eventually we settled on this location as making the most sense, both for financial and aesthetic reasons.”

Other members of the board of directors include Chuck Hunt, Jim Pollard Marty Sawyer and Wendy Cole. Other members include Vicki Smith and Gertrude Paschke.

“We are very excited to finally be opening the doors to the public,” Hunt adds. “It has taken a while but I think it will be a wonderful new attraction for the community and downtown Blue Earth.”

In order to make this opening extra special, the museum has a brand new attraction. A full size tyrannosaur skeleton. While not a T-rex, this tyrannosaur is a smaller relative of the T-rex, but just as fierce looking as the larger one.

The skeleton arrived in a large crate just last Monday, June 24, and was put together the same day.

The museum is not just a reincarnation of the fossil discovery center, the board of directors explained. While the fossils will still be there, and new ones will be making their debut, there will be lots more to see than just the fossils.

There will be insects including the world’s largest beetle, minerals, bison skulls and bison bones 7,000 years old which were discovered in Minnesota and a gigantic ammonite from the depths of a long gone sea, just to name a few of the items.

And, the group says they plan on adding a whole lot more as time, and money, allow.

“We have plans on adding more and more items when we can,” Pollard says. “It will always be changing, and new things being added.”

Some of the new items will include a large display of more 7,000 year old bison bones, and a full bison skeleton. There will be more rocks and gems and minerals from Minnesota and the area, and a viewing room where some of the minerals will glow under special lighting. Then there will be a special microscope to view both the current insect display and more that are on their way.

The group hopes to work with schools, community ed, daycares and others to have kids – and adults – come for tours and classes.

Of course, all of this takes funding, and the corporation, which is a charitable 501(3)(c) corporation is looking for donors to help make this all possible.

Donations can be dropped off at the museum or mailed to Southern Minnesota Museum of Natural History, PO Box 131, Blue Earth, MN 56013. For any questions, people can call the museum at 507-526-DINO (507-526-3466).