Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Center, National Park Service visitor center in Lincoln County, Wyoming.

The Fossil Butte National Monument Visitor Center houses over 80 fossil specimens and casts from the Eocene period, featuring fish, insects, plants, and early mammals. A network of trails extends from the building to fossil observation points throughout the monument grounds.

Fossil Butte was set aside as a national monument by President Richard Nixon in 1972, after decades of fossil collecting in the Green River Formation. The visitor center opened later to display specimens and explain the site's Eocene lake beds. Early surveys by geologists documented fish, plants, and insects in the limestone.

The center serves as a place where people come to learn about ancient worlds that once existed in this region. Ranger-led demonstrations show how fossils are extracted from rock, giving visitors a hands-on understanding of what scientists do here.

The center operates on different schedules depending on the season, so it is wise to check hours before your visit. The connected trails are accessible to most visitors and allow exploration of fossil observation points throughout the area.

The monument's fossil beds sit in the Green River Formation, a lake system that left layers of limestone so fine that fish scales and stomach contents are legible. The visitor center displays specimens from these beds, and rangers point out that many were collected within sight of the building.