Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 2009 |
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| Location | Glendive, Montana, United States |
| Founder | Otis Kline |
| Owner | Advancing Creation Truth |
The Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum is a special museum in Glendive, Montana, USA. It was started by Otis Kline and is run by a group called Advancing Creation Truth. This museum teaches about dinosaurs and fossils from a unique viewpoint. It shares a belief called "Young Earth creationism." This idea suggests that the Earth and life were created in a short time, as described in the Bible's Genesis story. The museum also teaches that dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time, and that dinosaurs were on Noah's Ark. The museum building was mostly built by volunteers between 2005 and 2009.
About the Museum
The Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum says it is the second-largest dinosaur museum in Montana. It is also the only museum in the state that shares a creationist view. Since it opened in 2009, some scientists who study fossils, called paleontologists, have had concerns about it.
Scientists have pointed out that Montana is a great place to find fossils. They have said that the Glendive museum is different from a science museum. For example, some fossils have tiny bits of soft tissue left. Creationists use this to suggest that fossils are not as old as scientists believe. However, scientists use methods like radiometric dating to show that fossils are millions of years old.
Another example is the Hell Creek Formation, a famous fossil site near Glendive. Scientists believe this area was formed by ancient rivers and floodplains near an inland sea. They have studied it a lot and found no signs of a huge flood forming it. Jack Horner, a paleontologist from the Museum of the Rockies, said the Glendive museum is "not a science museum at all."
Museum and Schools
In 2015, there was a discussion when local public schools brought students to the museum for field trips. The students only saw the dinosaur exhibits and did not get religious lessons. However, a group called Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent a letter to the school district. They said that school trips linked to religious groups might go against the rules about separating church and state. When asked, Otis Kline, the museum's founder, said he would share his views if a student asked about the age of a fossil.
Support for the Museum
The Gianforte Family Foundation has supported the museum. This foundation was started by tech businessman Greg Gianforte, who later became the Governor of Montana. The foundation gave the museum a copy of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. They also provided money for an Acrocanthosaurus exhibit. Records show that the Gianforte foundation has given a lot of money to Advancing Creation Truth, the group that owns the museum.
Other Local Museums
The Glendive area also has other dinosaur exhibits that follow scientific ideas. These can be found at Makoshika State Park and the Frontier Gateway Museum. The Frontier Gateway Museum is the official museum for Dawson County. However, it is only open during the summer months, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
See also
