Sternberg Museum Of Natural History

The Sternberg Museum of Natural History, located in Hays, Kansas, is a natural history museum affiliated with Fort Hays State University. Its collections focus on the Great Plains region and include some of the finest assemblies of Pteranodon material and fossil plants, along with a realistic Cretaceous diorama that brings prehistoric life to life across the museum's main floor. The museum's roots trace to 1866, when fossils were first discovered near Fort Hays by members of the Sternberg family — renowned fossil hunters whose legacy shaped the institution for generations. A 1994 relocation to a former dome building merged two legacy collections and created the spacious facility that stands today. For private events, the Sternberg offers several distinct rental spaces suited to meetings, seminars, receptions, and celebrations of various sizes. The Engel Education Center on the third floor accommodates up to 86 guests and can be divided into two separate meeting areas. The Expeditions Meeting Room seats 65 and includes access to a connecting catering kitchen, making it a practical choice for parties and reunions. The Seibel Lobby, equipped with a built-in audio-visual system, serves as the venue's main event hall for receptions, lectures, awards ceremonies, and larger gatherings. Twenty-two acres of outdoor grounds and two miles of nature trail round out the options for open-air events.