What should you do when you have the biggest collection of fossilized poop? Open a Poozeum, of course.
At least that’s what George Frandsen dubbed his newly opened museum in Williams, Arizona, which offers visitors free access to the approximately 8,000 pieces that make up his coprolite collection, better known as fossilized poop.
“Initially, many people react with an ‘yuck’ face or laughing when they first hear about Poozeum. However, after witnessing the collection, their reactions often shift to shock at the diverse and intriguing nature of the coprolites,” Frandsen told Guinness World Records.
“Given that most people have little or no experience with coprolites, it is nice to introduce them to this fascinating world and share the wonders they hold.”
Frandsen has long been fascinated by dinosaurs and fossils, and that interest extended to fossilized poop when he first saw one at age 18 on a visit to a rock and fossil store in Utah.
“I instantly found it hilarious and fascinating,” he said. “This sparked my curiosity, leading me to learn everything I could about coprolites. I soon realized that these peculiar prehistoric ‘time capsules’ offer direct information about the diets, behaviors and environments of ancient creatures.”
He initially founded the museum as an online resource center in 2014 and created a traveling exhibit of fossilized poop to be displayed in U.S. museums when he realized they were often not displayed in conventional locations.
“The enthusiastic response from visitors to these temporary exhibitions highlighted the demand for a dedicated space where coprolites could be prominently displayed and their scientific significance thoroughly explored,” added Frandsen.
So he quit his job at a large healthcare company, sold his house, moved 2,000 miles to Williams — known as the gateway to the Grand Canyon — and pursued his “crazy idea” of starting a Poozeum, he said. .
There, visitors can see pieces like the largest fossilized poop of a carnivorous animal, which measures 67.5 centimeters (26.6 inches) by 15.7 centimeters (6.2 inches) and likely came from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The collection also features several coprolites with teeth inside them or bite marks on their surface.
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