AURORA — Since it opened its doors in 1976, the Aurora Fossil Museum has entertained and educated young and old alike.

“We love to come here,” said recent visitor John Walsh of Greenville. “We usually come two or three times a year.”

Walsh and his children, 14-year-old Kamryn and 8-year-old Christian, recently dropped by the museum while making the most of the spring break from school. They enjoyed viewing the exhibits and digging for fossils and sharks’ teeth in the museum’s “reject” piles, provided by PotashCorp of Aurora.

A visit to the museum, which is free to the public (donations are welcome and appreciated), offers folks the opportunity to learn more about prehistoric life in what was to become Beaufort County. Native Americans are spotlighted as well, and the museum boasts a collection of minerals and gems found all over the world.

There’s also an informative video about the PotashCorp mine and local geological history, and the museum’s collection of sharks’ teeth will captivate the imagination of any science buff.

But regardless of age, most museum visitors end up on their hands and knees, eagerly searching the piles of mine materials for remains of sharks, whales, bony fish, corals, shells and other invertebrates.

The museum’s stated mission is “to increase knowledge of the geology and paleontology of the coastal plains of North Carolina.”

It does that, and more. The museum is a treasure located right in Beaufort County’s back yard. Schedule a visit today.

The Aurora Fossil Museum is presently open Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The museum is located at 400 Main Street. For more information, call 252-322-4238 or visit www.aurorafossilmuseum.com.