Discover Manitoba’s deep geological history introduced by beautiful crystals in the Precambrian minerals exhibit, including moss-like millerite and a huge cluster of amethyst. See animals from the Ordovician Period are brought to life in the award-winning Ancient Seas animated exhibit, representing fossils from salt seas that covered the province a half-billion years ago. Discover fossils in Manitoba’s limestones that are remains of tropical life forms such as cephalopods, trilobites, and corals. Our giant trilobite collected near Churchill holds a world record as the largest known complete specimen!
Learn about fossils from the Cretaceous Period, near the end of the Age of Dinosaurs, showing that Manitoba was again covered by a salt sea, while dinosaurs roamed the floodplains in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In this part of the gallery you can experience large carnivorous marine reptiles, including a splendid pliosaur that was collected from the Manitoba Escarpment.
Take a peek inside!
From the Earth History mezzanine you get an excellent view of some of the Cretaceous exhibits, including a dinosaur, plesiosaurs, and a mosasaur skull. Image ©Manitoba Museum
This spectacular pliosaur (plesiosaur) fossil is of Cretaceous age, roughly 90 million years old. It was collected in western Manitoba by a private collector, and donated to the Museum. Image ©Manitoba Museum
Our award-winning Ancient Seas exhibit depicts marine life in the Churchill area as it existed about 450 million years ago, when this region was under a tropical sea. This immersive exhibit features animated organisms projected onto a huge curved screen. Image ©Manitoba Museum
The Earth History Gallery is introduced by this exhibit of beautiful mineral specimens collected from the Canadian Shield in Manitoba and adjacent areas. Image ©Manitoba Museum