Sheldon, Iowa: Elephant Bones and Burial Ground
An elephant died in town while on tour, was buried to remove its flesh, and was dug up again to exhibit its bones.Sheldon Prairie Museum
- Address:
- 323 10th St., Sheldon, IA
- Directions:
- Sheldon Prairie Museum. Five blocks south of US Hwy 18/Park St. and two blocks east of Hwy 60/2nd Ave. At the corner of 10th St. and 4th Ave., in the old Carnagie Library.
- Hours:
- Th 1-4 pm or by appt. (Call to verify)
- Phone:
- 712-324-2405
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An elephant died in Sheldon (I think it was owned by a local resident), and the owner asked the museum if it was interested in the skeleton. The museum buried the elephant as a means of removing the flesh, and two or three years later disinterred the bones. The skull is on display at the museum, and the skeleton may be assembled and displayed in the future. Just saw the skull on display a couple of weeks ago!
If you want more information on the Sheldon, Iowa, elephant burial, contact the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.
[Steve, 01/27/2001]Hills Park, in Sheldon, IA, is supposedly the site of an elephant burial after the beast died in the 1940s on tour. Hills Park is located just off U.S. Highway 18, north of town.
On another note, the local museum in Sidney has a fascinating collection of dirt collected from around the world. The dirt, collected by a local housewife, includes samples from the yards of the Buckingham Palace, the White House, Iwo Jima, Guam, etc. It's definitely worth seeing. Sidney is also home to a terrific annual rodeo and is across the river from Nebraska City, where the whole Arbor Day idea was born.
[Jay Wagner, 07/16/1999]Nearby Offbeat Places
- The Miniature Grotto, Harris, IA - 28 mi.
- Ice Cream Capital of the World Museum, Le Mars, IA - 31 mi.
- Fighter Plane Park, Correctionville, IA - 49 mi.
- Tire Man, Sioux City, IA - 54 mi.
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