HILL CITY, S.D. – The Black Hills Institute of Geological Research opened in Rapid City in 1974 and moved to Hill City in 1978. Institute president and CEO Peter Larson
National Fossil Day was celebrated at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research in Hill City, offering free admission and a lineup of guest speakers. Peter Larson announced during the National Fossil Day event that the museum is expanding by purchasing the land where the Harney Peak Inn is located, with plans to rename it the Black Hills Museum of Natural Sciences. The expansion aims to accommodate numerous specimens not currently on display and make exhibits more accessible.
Fossils are fetching millions at auction, inspiring legal disputes and introducing intellectual property rights, trademarks and nondisclosure agreements to the world of paleontology.