The Dunn-Seiler Museum houses an extensive mineral, rock and fossil collections that help visitors visualize and understand the 4.6 billion year history of our planet. Our public displays feature specimens that include a Triceratops skull cast, a Cretaceous crocodile skull, minerals from around the world, recent donations and exhibits about the geologic history of Mississippi. Over 1,000 visitors of all ages visit the Dunn-Seiler each year. While the majority of visitors are school students between grades 3 and 9, the museum has something for everyone. Museum tours, presentations, and fossil excursions can be arranged by contacting the Mississippi State Welcome Center at visit@pres.msstate.edu or 662.325.5198. Individuals wishing to utilize specimens for research should contact Amy Moe Hoffman, Collections Manager.
The first collections in the Dunn-Seiler museum date to the late 1800's. In 1946, the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning passed a resolution which granted authority to develop the Franklin Seiler Museum. Mr. Franklin Carl Seiler (1916–1945), a geology student and later instructor within the department, was killed in action during WW II in Europe. In 1962, the museum was renamed the Dunn-Seiler Museum in recognition of the efforts of Dr. Paul Heaney Dunn (1895–1967), who was department head from 1934 to 1962 and whose efforts led to the development of the museum.
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The Museum is located in 112 Hilbun Hall.
