The Museum of Osteology is devoted to a rather unusual topic: the study of bones. Explore a fascinating and unique collection that showcases nearly 300 complete skeletons across a 7,000-square-foot (650-square-meter) exhibition space.
Note that the privately owned museum grew out of one of Jay Villemarette’s private skull collections, which was showcased in his Oklahoma City Skulls Unlimited shop. The shop, which has been open since 1986, drew interest from far and wide and led Villemarette to set up a complementary museum.
The museum is divided into several sections, each of which is designed with education in mind. Learn about how animals have changed to better suit their changing habits in the Adaptation and Locomotion exhibition. Find out how penguins adapted to help them swim, how gophers adapted to help them dig and how sloths and monkeys adapted to help them climb trees.
Participate in hands-on activities at the Explorer’s Corner, where visitors can touch authentic animal skulls. After learning about the distinguishing characteristics of various species, test yourself on the Mystery Skulls challenge. Other exhibits focus on forensic pathology and how evidence on skulls can hint at the cause of death.
Other displays are divided based on animal categories. Find lemurs, lorises and tarsiers in the primate sections and newts, salamanders and toads in the reptiles and amphibians section. Among the biggest skeletons on display is one belonging to a humpback whale, which measures about 40 feet (12 meters) long. At the smaller end of the spectrum are tiny mice and shrews. Also of note is the rare Javan rhinoceros, a critically endangered species native to Java, Indonesia. It is thought as few as 58 survive in the wild.
The Museum of Osteology is located about a 15-minute drive south of Downtown Oklahoma City. The museum is open daily, with limited opening hours on Sundays. There is an entrance fee. The museum shares a site with the Skulls Unlimited shop. Browse the store next door to buy rare real bones or replica items.
