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ROYAL — The Ashfall Fossil Beds State Histori‑cal Park near Royal, Nebraska, is planning a Fossil and Artifact ID Day for Sunday, August 3rd, 2025. Shane Tucker will be on-site to identify rocks and fossils visitors bring into the park that day.
Tucker is a paleontologist with the University of Nebraska State Museum.
For 30 years he has been criss-crossing the State of Nebraska, identifying and rescuing fossils from roadcuts and road construction projects, all while sharing his vast knowledge of Nebraska’s fossil treasures with everyone curious enough to ask.
If you have a rock, fossil or artifact in a desk drawer, on that closet shelf, acting as a doorstop, or as décor on the coffee table that you have won‑dered about for a while, why not bring it in and see what it is? Maybe you have a box of rocks and fossils you have collected over the years hiding in the basement and you are too curious about them to throw them away…bring them in and satisfy your curiosity.
If you don’t have anything to bring in yourself, it’s still a lot of fun to see what treasures other people have collected, to watch and listen as they have them identified.
The park will be open from 9:30 to 4:30 in its usual capacity that day and the Fossil ID event will be held from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m.
Regular admission fees and park permit require‑ments will apply to all people entering the park, but there are no additional fees to have items identified. Please call 402-893-2000 if you need additional information.
