St. George Area Museums
St. George Art Museum and Store
47 East 200 North, St. George, UT 84770
(435)634-5942
E-mail: [email protected]
Many traveling art exhibits of varying themes along with works of regional artisans attract people to the St. George Art Museum. Today this building is a art museum, but it was originally a sugar beet storehouse. Beyond art exhibits, the museum has several programs and events aimed at visitors of all ages. For instance, the Family Friendly Discovery Center caters to families with members of all ages. Each month on the third Thursday the museum also hosts conversations at 7 pm.
The museum is across the street from St. George's main post office in the Pioneer Center for the Arts Complex. Call the museum or visit its website for more information about hours and exhibits. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission fee required.
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
145 North 100 East, St. George, UT 84770
(435)628-7274
Early Mormon settlers were the first permanent residents in the St. George area during modern times. They arrived in what is now known as "Utah's Dixie" in 1857 to establish communities devoted to producing cotton. To celebrate this heritage the Daughters of Utah Pioneers have established a museum to house artifacts from these settlers who tamed the desert in Southwestern Utah. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
2180 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT 84790
(435)574-DINO(3466)
The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm has become a tourist attraction in southernwestern Utah that annually attracts thousands of people. These people come to see more than 2,000 tracks and swim tracks left by dinosaurs and animals from millions of years ago. Of note, Dinosaur Discovery Site has one of the two known set of tracks created by a sitting dinosaur in the world.
In 2000, the Johnson Farm quickly gained fame after Dr. Sheldon Johnson found several dinosaur tracks and fossils while leveling land. Paleontological investigation revealed that these remains date back almost 200 million years to the Early Jurassic Period. Today, built over the tracksite, there is a modern musuem - funded partially by an appropriation from the US Congress - that is full of information about dinosaurs and ancient animal life.
Many international paleontological experts consider this site a valuable resource for further Early Jurassic Period research. "The [St. George] collection is going to be the most important in the world for the researchers working on early Jurassic footprints," states Gerard Gierlinski of the Polish Geological Institute. These remnants sustain the theory that an ancient lake once existed in the area, and to further support this theory some of the highest concentrations of dinosaur swim tracks in the world are found here.
These tracks are preserved in sandstone and are dislplayed in the museum. The museum showcases a 52,000 pound slab that has over fifty tracks! These tracks, as well as many others in the museum, are actually negative impressions. The imprints created by the dinosaurs were molds that sand and silt filled. The sand and silt casts solidified to preserve them for us to enjoy and investigate.
Detailed signage or knowledgeable volunteer docents guide visitors through the museum and allow them to explore at their own pace. The sandstone slabs that most of the tracks and other specimen are on are well marked. The St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is near downtown St. George. Head east on 700 South and go over the hill on Foremaster Drive, turning left at the light on Riverside Drive. Continue for several blocks and you will see the e site on the right at 2180 East Riverside Road. Hours and Days vary depending on the season (see www.DinosaursUtah.com)
Admission fee required.
1835 Convention Center Drive Suite B, St. George, UT 84790
(435)656-0033
The Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum is an educational place to learn about the southwestern Utah wildlife. It features an indoor mountain that showcases over 300 different species in the natural habitat of each. There is also a gift shop that offers numerous mementos of the museum and Southern Utah. The museum is open Monday from Noon to 9:00 pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission fee required.
Robert N. and Peggy Sears Art Gallery-Museum at DSU's Eccles Fine Arts Center
155 South 700 East, St. George, UT 84770
(435)652-7905
E-mail: [email protected]
The Robert N. and Peggy Sears Art Gallery-Museum in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center at Dixie State College hosts six annual exhibits that showcase different art styles. Every February, the Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show at the museum exhibits the work of about 90 artists from the region. In addition to these seasonal exhibits, the museum presents a sizeable collection that it owns. Special programs for community and school groups can be arranged by calling (435)652-7905. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.