ST. GEORGE, UTAH — The history of the museum begins in 2000, when local optometrist, Dr. Sheldon Johnson, was leveling a hill on his property. After removing several feet of topsoil, he came across a thick sandstone layer. This layer was the “paleontological jackpot”: dinosaur footprints!
Dr. Johnson and his wife, LaVerna, decided to share the tracks with the world, opening their farm to the public. Within a few months, trained paleontologists from around the state, plus hundreds of volunteers, helped uncover thousands of fossils. Utah Paleontologist, Jim Kirkland has said, “The St. George track site is not only the oldest Jurassic dinosaur site in Utah, it is the best basal Jurassic track site in western North America.” Together with scientists, businesses, and government officials on the local, state, and national levels, the Johnsons and the DinosaurAH!torium Foundation raised enough funds to build a museum. In 2005, the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm opened its doors and has served over 500,000 visitors.
