Museum overseers pursuing addition

The boards overseeing the Bighorn Basin Dinosaur and Geoscience Center and the Greybull Museum are exploring a partnership with the Town of Greybull on the potential construction of a 3,000 square foot addition that would house casts of dinosaurs discovered in this area.
Representatives of the two boards intend to make a presentation to the Greybull Town Council at Monday night’s meeting.  They have identified the area on the east side of the Greybull Museum, where there is currently a covered picnic shelter with lawn on both sides, as their preferred location.
The two boards have met on a couple of occasions, with the most recent being last Thursday evening.  What emerged from that discussion was a plan, according to Bill Hayes, who serves on the geoscience center board.  
More details will be announced Monday night, but in general terms, the boards intend to encourage the town to pursue SLIB funding for the construction of the building while they use their contacts to fundraise and line up the exhibits that would be showcased in it.
Hayes said the goal of the collaboration is to “bring the dinosaurs back to Big Horn County,” better utilize and publicize current museum attractions such as its ammonites and the Greene family collection, offer educational opportunities for community residents and tourists, enhance economic development by attracting outside interests and to remind the community and its alumni about what the area has to offer.
Hayes acknowledged that even in the best-case scenario, it would take some time to bring it all together.  “It may be two years,” he said, citing the need to apply for and land the SLIB money, construct the building, make the dinosaur casts and lay out the exhibits.
Cheryl Hunt, president of the Greybull Museum board, confirmed Hayes’ account of the Thursday meeting.  While there are points to iron out, the board are in complete agreement that Greybull and the surrounding area would benefit from a museum that houses casts of the dinosaurs that have been discovered (and subsequently removed from) the area.
“I feel personally — and I’m not necessarily speaking for the board — that our two boards, coming together, can make a huge impact.  Working out all the details will be a little tricky, but we’re on the path now to doing that.”