Fick Fossil and History Museum

Fick Fossil and History Museum Jodee Reed, Director Fick Fossil and History Museum (Used with Permission)

ickaimp (Atlas Obscura User)

Xiphactinus Audax fossil and mural. Jodee Reed, Director Fick Fossil and History Museum (Used with permission)

American Flag with fossilized sharks' teeth by Vi Fick. Jodee Reed, Director Fick Fossil and History Museum (Used with Permission)

This “painting” is made out of fossilised oyster, clam, and snail shells, as well as fish vertebrae ickaimp (Atlas Obscura User)

Visitors may think the fossilized sea creatures seem a bit fishy when first visiting the land-locked Fick Fossil and History Museum. That is until they learn they are actually the remains of strange and unique creatures that populated the oceans millions of years ago.

Western Kansas was located at the bottom of the ancient Western Interior Seaway. The huge sea creatures that lived and died in that waterway left their remains in the chalky, rock formations of the high Kansas plains. Early in the 20th-century, Ernest and Vi Fick began finding and collecting fossils near their home, and in 1972, they left their collection to the City of Oakley to form the basis of the Fick Museum.

When visiting the museum, visitors will find the world’s oldest known mosasaur and a 15-foot Xiphactinus Audax, a type of predatory fish. Alongside the fossils hangs Vi’s wonderful folk art, which includes an American flag and an eagle made of shark’s teeth.

Nearby is also the pioneer’s sod house, a replica of the early Kansas Pacific Depot, and a memorial garden dedicated to military personnel in Logan County. This small museum has a little bit of something for everyone.