Cape Girardeau man brings back Triceratops skull fragments for Cape Girardeau museum

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The Discovery Playhouse Museum in Cape Girardeau has a new addition to its many attractions.

From flying to firefighting the museum has it all. Now it has a pre-historic item that kids of all ages will be eager to enjoy.

Recently, Director Michael Toeniskoetter went on a journey to Montana that took him back to pre-historic times. While Missouri was mostly still underwater during those times, dinosaurs were wandering across Montana.

Toeniskoetter partnered with Adventure 360 and participated in the Paleo X program. He brought back with him a bone fragment from the skull and horn of a Triceratops.

“To my knowledge, right now we are the only museum in the country that is allowing this type of hands-on experience,” said Toeniskoetter.

The fossil is housed in a jacket of plaster and dirt, where adults and children can help to remove the particles surrounding it and get closer to releasing the bone fragment from it’s casing.

Along with this historic piece, Toeniskoetter has a local fossil on display, Missouri’s well known Crinoids related to the starfish and Missouri’s official fossil.

“Our goal is to provide a once in a lifetime, unbelievable experience for our patrons,” Toeniskoetter said. “We want them to be able to come in, not only view fossils but actually hold them and actually do the prep work for them.”

A couple of these items were donated from the Paleo X program and will be returned in the near future.