This is Mazon Monday post #83. What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:[email protected].
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As part of the trip to the 2021 MAPS Expo in Springfield, IL this past weekend, a few ESCONI members took the opportunity to visit the Mazon Creek exhibit at the Illinois State Museum. George Langford donated a large and especially fine collection of Mazon Creek fossils to the Illlinois State Museum in the late 1930's. That collection is a large part of the current display which fills a good sized room on the ground floor of the museum. As with most museums, only a small part of their whole collection is on display to the public. Interestingly, many of the Langford fossils are cataloged in the Mazon Creek Collections Database.
The public display consists of good sized room, with a large diorama behind glass, which has many models of plants and animals from the Pennsylvanian Period fossils known to be part of the Mazon Creek biota.
Across from the diorama and extending for about 25 feet is a large display case of specimens of both plants and animals. Many of these specimens are breathtaking...
Stunning plants...
Zooming in on a few choice specimens.
Rare wonderful animals...
And, of course there is a Tully Monster!
It was a great visit... if you have a chance, check it out!
