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Upcoming Events
June
17
Raptor Run 2022
Bring the family for a night of fun to help raise money for the Missouri Institute of Natural Science and Riverbluff Cave! Participants can run or walk the 5K, or 1 mile Fun Run. Funds from this fundraiser will benefit the museum and aid in continued research within Riverbluff Cave.
July
11-15
Dino Camp 2022: Session 1
Join us for an unforgettable experience this Summer at the Missouri Institute of Natural Science. Children that have completed grades 1-2 are invited to register for Dino Camp. This year we will explore famous fossil formations around the world, and how fossils of plants, animals, and bacteria are formed. Each day will include hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with artifacts at the museum.
July
18-22
Dino Camp 2022: Session 2
Join us for an unforgettable experience this Summer at the Missouri Institute of Natural Science. Children that have completed grades 3-5 are invited to register for Dino Camp. This year we will explore famous fossil formations around the world, and how fossils of plants, animals, and bacteria are formed. Each day will include hands-on activities and opportunities to interact with artifacts at the museum.
Check back often for upcoming events!
In The News
MINS Named Top Free Activity for 2020
January 09, 2020
At this time of year, resolutions are swarming — lose weight, clean out the closet, save money. Losing weight and getting organized can be monumental challenges. Fortunately, free or cheap entertainment is not. Here in the Ozarks, we have a slew of great ways to enjoy our downtime for free. If you are among those who have resolved to spend less without sacrificing a good time, here are a few ideas to get you rolling.
Geologists work to find hidden network of mines underneath Greene County
November 26, 2019
I've never considered myself to be much of a scientist. In school I'd get frustrated with how long it took to set up the experiments. I felt bad for the frogs and rats we dissected in biology, and a lot of science requires doing math. So when I called Greene County Geologist Matt Forir last week to set up an interview for a story, I suspended my biases toward science, thinking it'd be cool to learn about the county's caves, sinkholes and fault lines from the only county-level geologist in the country. What I did not realize was that I'd be a part of a geological discovery.
Old as the Hills (or Caves); the Missouri Institute of Natural Science
March 21, 2019
Even though Missouri is not typically thought of as a place for fossils, we are not without our share. In fact, the rocks are littered with the remnants of animals that once called this place (albeit a very different version) home. Of course, Missouri is known as a place of caves, and the discovery of the Riverbluff cave system, which held remnants of animal life from the ice age, brought together a group with an interest in natural history, fossils and the Ozarks. They created the Missouri Institute of Natural History in 2003 and have been welcoming visitors and promoting education in our area ever since. Listen in as Matt Forir, the Executive Director of the institute, and I chat about his passion for fossils, the institute’s goals and the exciting world of discovery it contains.
June 02, 2017
Paul Adler, KY3
Between Lusk and Newcastle, Wyoming A local group of Dinosaur hunters is wrapping up a trip to Wyoming today. They'll be back home this weekend with new bones for display at the Missouri Institute of Natural Science.
March 04, 2016
Brennon Gurle, KOLR10
The Missouri Institute of Natural Science in Springfield gazes toward continuing to educate generations of future scientists, but needs funds to continue.
The museum doesn't charge admission, the staff is made up of volunteers, so to help with funding, they're turning to the community for help.
February 10, 2016
Kate Allt, KY3
Progress is evident on a home for Springfield's resident dinosaur. Missouri Institute of Natural Science is working on a new space to house its fossilized triceratops named Henry.
June 19, 2015
Wes Johnson, Springfield News-Leader
While scooping away mud and rescuing scattered fossils, Forir said he discovered a huge triceratops replica skull that had floated away and was lodged against the side of a building. He sized it up and realized it would fit Henry's fossilized remains once they are assembled at the museum.
June 17, 2015
Kathryn Eutsler, KSMU
Standing in a straight line under the overcast sky, 10 grinning adults dig their shovels into the green grass. Dirt begins to fly.
The Missouri Institute of Natural Science in Springfield broke ground on Tuesday for an expansion that will double the size of the museum.
February 24, 2015
Wes Johnson, Springfield News-Leader
An anonymous local donor has made it possible for the Missouri Institute of Natural Science to double the size of its free museum near Riverbluff Cave by the end of the year.
January 25, 2015
Harrison Keegan, Springfield News-Leader
There is no doubt that Matt Forir loves dinosaurs.But if there is one thing the Springfield paleontologist loves more, it is talking about dinosaurs.
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7 things you may not know about Missouri’s caves
May 25, 2022
Missouri is known as The Cave State, probably because it has over 7,000 documented caves.
Riverbluff Cave in Springfield was discovered on Sept. 11, 2001, when a road construction crew noticed a small opening. It led into the oldest Ice Age fossil cave in North America. Riverbluff isn’t open to the public, but fossils and minerals found in it are displayed nearby at the Missouri Institute of Natural Science. Matt Forir, the geologist who first explored the cave., described his experience this way: “When you’re in a place with such a deep, rich prehistoric history, if you’re not in awe there’s something wrong with you.”