A must-stop for anyone visiting Big Bend! It's outdoors, so there's no time restrictions for when it would be "open" and we were able to start a day here learning about the western interior seaway that once covered this entire region in a warm, shallow sea that preserved so many animals and other things as fossils. I loved that the paleontologist who uncovered fossils here wanted a museum built on the same spot so future people could learn about the creatures that lived here and the fossils that were discovered right outside the building. Very informative, beautiful displays, great fossils and models, and an absolutely fantastic mini-museum for people of all ages to enjoy! read more

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This is such a unique little thing in the middle of the park/desert. It's fairly close to the panther junction HQ welcome station, you just drive a little further north. The exhibits are crazy cool, most are actual fossils that had been found in the park but some are recreations. There are lots of signs with teaching points and the view of the surrounding park around the exhibit is honestly really cool; it makes you feel so small seeing the land formations in the distance! And the road north of the exhibit to leave the park/get to the main freeway is also just stunning - I would highly rec checking out this exhibit if you're visiting big bend, either on your way in or on the way out depending on which road you take. read more

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A place to stop if you're driving to Big Bend through Marathon. It was empty, unmanned, limited displays, but has a charm! It has a restroom as well read more

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The Fossil Discovery Exhibit on Hwy 385 between Panther Junction and Persimmon Gap in Big Bend National Park (BBNP) is a great quick stop if you happen to be in the area, which you will be if you are entering or exiting the park via Marathon, Texas. The site is open from dawn to dusk. Inside the beautiful modern pavilion, you'll be able to see casts of some of the weird & wonderful fossils which have been collected in BBNP, as well as to learn a bit of geological history of the area. Some of these fossil specimens are huge, leading my family to a fun discussion about which of these creatures we'd rather meet in the wild. It definitely wasn't the 18-foot long Xiphactinus, a terrifying predator fish with a head that looks like a piranha. Beyond the 3 rooms of open-air pavilion exhibits, visitors can also take advantage of a cool photo opportunity overlooking the desert, use the vault toilets, climb all over the little kids' play area, or have a picnic at the shaded tables. Be warned, there's no air conditioning or running water on site. The Fossil Discovery Exhibit just opened in January 2017, funded through the efforts of the Big Bend Conservancy (http://www.bigbendfriends.org/). They can always use your donations to promote, protect and raise funds for BBNP and the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. Another way you can support BBNP is to buy a specialty license plate (if you are a Texas resident). read more

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Nice introduction to the geological history of the area. Good informative displays. Loved the displayed skeletons which showed how large some of the dinosaurs were. read more