📷 Photo by Sung Jin Cho on UnsplashSternberg Museum of Natural History
Hays, KS
A museum of the fossils found in the Kansas chalk, including the famous fish-within-a-fish. Good background before driving out to the formations.
The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in Hays in western Kansas (3000 Sternberg Drive) and part of Fort Hays State University. It focuses on Cretaceous fossils from the time when Kansas lay beneath a sea.
Its best-known piece is the "Fish-Within-A-Fish": a fossil preserving two fish, Gillicus and Xiphactinus, one inside the other; George F. Sternberg collected it in 1952. The museum also holds a significant collection of Pteranodon material, large collections of fossil plants and a Cretaceous diorama.
The collection goes back to private finds donated to the Kansas State Normal College; George F. Sternberg helped it grow. In the early 1990s the museum moved into a domed building that had been an athletic club and merged with the Museum of the High Plains. Please check opening hours and admission in advance.
- Nearest town
- Hays, KS
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 38.9082, -99.2727
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. Hot in July–August. Cold, short days in January–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Sources
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Creek Side ResortMotorhome stopover5 mi from Sternberg Museum of Natural History · 69 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityWi-Fi
- Triple-J Camper ParkCampsite22 mi from Sternberg Museum of Natural History
All campsites in Kansas · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Sternberg Museum of Natural History?
Sternberg Museum of Natural History is in Hays, KS, at GPS 38.9082, -99.2727. It is about 41 mi from Lucas.
Can you camp near Sternberg Museum of Natural History?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Creek Side Resort, about 5 mi away; within 25 mi there are 2 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Sternberg Museum of Natural History?
Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Kansas chalk badlands.
What is there to see near Sternberg Museum of Natural History?
Places worth a stop nearby: Cheyenne Bottoms (44 mi), Pawnee Rock State Historic Site (47 mi), Castle Rock (48 mi) and Fort Larned National Historic Site (50 mi).
When is the best time to visit Sternberg Museum of Natural History?
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)