University of Wyoming

Howell Knight had made the university's Geology Department well known around the country. Samuel Howell Knight acquired many of the exhibits and paintings that are still on display, including the copper Tyrannosaurus at the entrance, the initial mounting of the Apatosaurus skeleton centerpiece, and the terracotta Stegosaurus and Triceratops panels.
One of the most famous exhibits at the museum is the Allosaurus known as "Big Al". It was featured in the BBC documentary The Ballad of Big Al. The University of Wyoming Geological Museum has also received coverage from National Geographic, CNN, Earth Magazine, Walter Cronkite, and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, and it has been shown on many dinosaur programs. On June 30, 2009, the museum was closed to meet state budget cuts. Following this controversial decision, an endowment fund was set up to support the museum. After substantial infrastructure upgrades, the museum reopened to the public on January 12, 2013 and resumed its regular hours with free admission. Some …