Past & Present Science and Nature Store & Free Fossil Museum

05/25/2026

“This Memorial Day we don’t say ‘Happy’: We say Thank You.
To the brave who never came home.
To the families who carry their sacrifice.
We remember. We honor. We live in the freedom they died to protect.”

Thank You. 🇺🇸

(Our shop is closed today, Memorial Day Monday)

05/11/2026

The sun is trying really hard to stay with us! ☀️

In the meantime, make your indoors pop with color with rocks of all hues. 🌈

Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday 10-6pm; Wednesday & Thursday 10-8pm!

• Lapis Lazuli
• Calcite
• Amethyst & Citrine Cathedrals
• Ocean Jasper
• Smokey Quartz
• Labradorite
• Agate Slices
• Malachite
• Selenite
• Septarian
• Herkimer Diamonds
• Apophyllite
• Fluorite
• Opals

04/23/2026

The myth, lore and legend of the Petoskey Stone!

Did you know Michigan’s State Stone is actually the fossil of 350 million-year-old colonial coral that was naturally tumbled by the last Ice Age? 🦣

Next time you wander the shores of the Great Lakes, see if you can find any! 🔍

04/02/2026

03/02/2026

Meet the shark-toothed lizard of Africa that is still shrouded in mystery 🦖

This giant predator rivals T.rex, but with teeth that are similar to the prehistoric great white shark, Megalodon. 🦈

Would you rather be big and bulky with a massive jaw force like T.rex, or slender and agile with sharp, serrated teeth like Carcharodontosaurus? 🤔

02/09/2026

👀 Did you know?

Although eurypterids look like lobsters, they are actually most closely related to horseshoe crabs and spiders! 🕷️

This extremely successful species lived in a shallow sea that covered modern day New York State over 300 million years ago.

…that means the bedrock in much of New York is too old to find dinosaur bones (dinosaurs only appeared about 245 million years ago—the rock in New York is on average 300-500 million years old)!

All of these specimens are for sale at our shop!

prehistoric

02/02/2026

Planet Earth really loves to draw ✍️🌼

Although Chrysanthemum Stones look like fossilized flowers, they’re actually a completely natural mineral formation that took place over 200 million years ago!

01/26/2026

🟢 Yes we’re OPEN today and all this week despite the chilly, snowy Buffalo weather!

[Safely] come out to see what treasures we have in store for you to melt away the winter blues!

Open:
Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday: 10-6pm
Wednesday, Thursday: 10-8pm

01/22/2026

Rude of social media to only allow us 20 photos in one post 😤

What’s your favorite thing to look for at the shop?

01/20/2026

Not sure what to do with this cold, snowy day? Spend some time looking around in here and maybe go home with something special! 🤩

Open 10-6!