Take time during your Museum visit to enjoy the outdoor garden landscaped with modern plant species whose ancestors lived millions of years ago, often preserved as fossils around the world.

This 8-ton fossil tree from Gadsden County, Florida, is 18 million years old. During fossilization, silica replaced the tree’s organic matter while retaining its shape, bark and even its tree rings.

Wander the garden to view plants with fossil histories from 15 million to 425 million years ago. Plants in the garden include mosses, sago and sabal palms, saw palmetto, east and west coast coontie, and ginkgo trees.

The garden’s information panels reveal the fossil and modern life history of each species.