🦕 A Hidden Fossil Museum on a School Campus

Sunlight streams through the glass skylight into the exhibition hall, and the air carries a faint scent of limestone and history. In an ordinary campus in Claremont, there’s actually a small museum full of stories—the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. It’s the only paleontology museum in the United States located within a high school (The Webb Schools). The founder, Raymond M. Alf, was a high school teacher passionate about paleontology. Back in the 1930s, while taking his students on a field trip, he accidentally discovered fossils—and thus began a legendary journey. From that moment on, the students’ class notes gradually evolved into the exhibits we see today. 🦴 The museum began collecting fossils in the 1950s and officially opened in 1968. Though small in scale, it’s full of surprises at every turn. 👣 My favorite moment was watching a child stand in front of the dinosaur footprints, looking up at a timeline far older than humanity itself; while I stood beside them, seeing their little hand gently pressed against the glass— suddenly feeling that this is what meaningful companionship truly looks like. 💫 🦕 Highlights & Features: • The collection includes over 200,000 fossil specimens, including dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, fish, plants, and more. • The exhibits showcase fossils discovered, excavated, and restored by Webb students and scientists during field trips. • Visitors can observe real fossil restoration labs and excavation processes up close. • Special Exhibition Areas: • Hall of Life: Displays the evolutionary history of life on Earth. • Hall of Footprints: A signature exhibition focusing on dinosaur footprints. 📍 Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology Address: 1175 W. Baseline Rd, Claremont, CA ⏰ Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 🎟 Ticket Information: Adults: $12 Youth (5–18): $9 Students (with ID): $9 Seniors (65+): $9 Children 4 and under: Free ✨ If you’re also looking for an uncrowded, quiet place where kids can truly experience “time and life”— this dinosaur museum hidden inside a high school will definitely amaze you! Have you visited any unique hidden gem museums lately? Share your recommendations below! 👇🦖 #Fossils #MustVisitMuseums #MuseumExploration #MuseumHoppers #WeekendWithKids #GreatPlacesForKids #Paleontology #DinosaurMuseum #HiddenGems #ClaremontCA #FamilyFriendlyMuseums #EducationalFun #SouthernCaliforniaMuseums #HistoryLovers #ScienceForKids