Search for information on
WataugaLakeMagazine.com


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Butler Weather Forecast, TN (37640)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

More WataugaLakeMagazine articles:

The Butler Museum

Learn how and why Watauga Lake was formed and how the citizens of "Old Butler" Tennessee were changed forever. . . .

A Kayaker's View

See Watauga Lake up-close from a Kayak

Watauga Lake Triathlon

Swim over 1,000 yards in a deep lake, race in your bike over 21 miles through the mountains, THEN... run 5 miles ...

Appalachian

The Appalachian Trail skirts Watauga Lake and crosses it at the Dam ...

Blue Hole Falls

Just a short drive from the lake, near Elizabethton, Blue Hole Falls is a beautiful set of waterfalls ...

Pioneer Landing

Learn more about the easternmost marina on Watauga Lake ...

Watauga Dam

The dam that creates Watauga Lake ...

Jonesborough TN

Home of the International Storytelling Festival ...

Iron Mountain Inn

See this beautiful lodge with breathtaking views ...

Rat Branch Boat Ramp

This is the westernmost boat ramp on the lake ...

Watauga Point

This beautiful park is great for picnics, boating and swimming ...

The Carter Mansion

Where Tennessee history started. Learn about the Carter family ...

Doe River Gorge

See the beautiful gorge and ride the rails where the Tweetsie Train traveled ...

Gray Fossil Site

A spectacular fossil site discovered not long ago ...

Colonel Roderick Butler

Learn about the man for whom the town of Butler was named ...

Sugar Hollow Retreat

See this spectacular mountain retreat ...

Fish Springs Marina

This beautifully situated marina offers many services to lake boaters ...

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum
Jan. 19 - April 27 2008

Email this page to someone
All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2008 - present
All Rights Reserved
See links to article references at the end of the article.
January, 2008

The Gray Fossil Museum in Gray Tennessee (click here to learn more about the Gray Fossil Museum )is the place to be this winter. Visiting from the Field Museum in Chicago is a full size replica of Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the oldest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton today. As with other displays in the Gray Fossil Museum, light and color and display design make the experience exciting and memorable.

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

In 1990, a group of workers from the Black Hills Institute was searching for fossils at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, in western South Dakota near the city of Faith. By the end of the summer, the group had discovered other bones and was ready to leave when a tire on their truck went flat. The group, all but one, went to town to repair the truck, Sue Hendrickson decided to stay behind and explore the nearby cliffs while they were gone.

As she traveled along the base of a cliff, she saw some small pieces of bone. She looked above and saw larger bones protruding from the wall of the cliff. She returned to camp with some small pieces of the bones and reported the discovery. The team determined that the bones were from a Tyrannosaurus Rex by their distinctive contour and texture. Later, closer examination of the site showed many visible bones above the ground.

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

After the discovery there was a legal dispute about the ownership of the bones. The Black Hills Institute, the owner of the property and the US Department of Interior fought legal battles for ownership of the very valuable find. At one point the fossils were removed from the site by the FBI and National Guard while the dispute was being settled. Ultimately, the owner of the property where Sue was found was declared the owner. The bones were sold at auction for over $8 million to the Field Museum in Chicago (with the financial support of the California State University System, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Walt Disney Parks and others).

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee
Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

The exhibits that accompany "Sue" are bright, informative, in both English and Spanish and many are interactive. They are easily used by children and adults alike.

As always at the Gray Fossil Museum the guides and volunteers are very knowledgeable about the exhibits.

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee
Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee
Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

Sue, the Dinosaur, is like a rock star in the paleontology world. It is truly a great opportunity for those living and visiting East Tennessee, Western North Carolina,and Southwestern Virginia to see these fossilized remains of a 67 million year old dinosaur and to learn what is known and what is not known about the world "she" lived in.

Incidentally, it is not known whether this Tyrannosaurus Rex was male or female. It is named for the discoverer, Sue Hendrickson, and is, therefore, referred to as a "she".

The museum is open 7 days a week from 8:30 to 5. Their phone number is (423) 439-3659 and their e-mail address is info@grayfossilmuseum.com. While you are there we recommend you take the tour of museum, research center and outside sites.

Sue the Dinosaur at the Gray Fossil Site and Museum near Watauga Lake Tennessee

Links to references in this article:

click here to learn more about the Gray Fossil Museum