St. George, Utah

St. George is full of interesting history and culture as dinosaurs and pioneers have called this their home. To promote this rich history the community has several museums that offer information about the area.

St. George Art Museum • Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum • Sears Museum

St. George Art Museum and Store
47 East 200 North, St. George, UT 84770
(435)634-5942
E-mail: museum@sgcity.org

The St. George Art Museum features many traveling art exhibits of varying themes along with works of regional artisans. Today it is a modern art gallery, 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. On the third Thursday of each month 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. For more information about hours and exhibits call the museum or visit its website. 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

Mormon pioneers were the first permanent settlers in the St. George area during modern times. They arrived in Utah's Dixie in 1857 to establish communities devoted to producing cotton. To commemorate 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 is a tourist attraction in Southern Utah that annually attracts hundreds of 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 - the dinosaur here was a theropod.

In 2000, the Johnson Farm quickly became famous after Sheldon Johnson found several dinosaur tracks and fossils while leveling land. Paleontological investigation reveals that these ancient remains date back to the Early Jurassic Period. Today there is a modern visitor center - funded by an appropriation from the US Congress - that is full of information about dinosaurs and ancient animal life.

Now many in the international paleontological community 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 existed here, and to further support this theory the highest concentration of dinosaur swim tracks in the world is found here.

These tracks are preserved in sandstone, and slabs of this stone are now in the museum. The museum showcases a 52,000 pound slab that has fourteen tracks. These tracks 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 in their current state.

There are detailed self-guided tour pamphlets and knowledgeable volunteer docents who guide visitors through the museum. 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 then turn south on River Road. At Riverside Road turn east and continue until the site at 2180 East Riverside Road. It is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Admission fee required.

Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum
1835 Convention Center Drive Suite B, St. George, UT 84790
(435)656-0033

The Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum is a great place to learn about the Southwestern Utah wildlife. In fact, there is 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 DSC's Eccles Fine Arts Center
155 South 700 East, St. George, UT 84770
(435)652-7905
E-mail: taysom@dixie.com

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. Each February, the Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show at the museum exhibits the work of about 90 regional artists. In addition to these seasonal exhibits, the museum also presents a significant 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.