Photo: Kalima · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia «Gaetano Giorgio Gemmellaro»

University museum in Palermo with over 600,000 specimens, the room of the Sicilian dwarf elephants and the fossil remains of “Thea”.

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About the museum

The museum was founded in 1866 by the geologist and paleontologist Gaetano Giorgio Gemmellaro and is part of the Sistema museale di Ateneo of the University of Palermo. It holds one of the most important paleontological and geological collections in southern Italy.

The holdings exceed 600,000 specimens, organized into numerous collections, with fossils covering more than 270 million years of the geological and paleontological history of Sicily. The guided exhibition route extends over three floors and illustrates the island’s geological history.

The museum preserves evidence of the earliest human presence in Sicily, in particular the fossil remains of “Thea”, and houses the elephant room, with numerous remains of the dwarf elephants that inhabited the island during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.

Highlights

Room of the Sicilian dwarf elephants
Fossil remains of “Thea”, evidence of the earliest human presence in Sicily
Over 600,000 paleontological and geological specimens
Fossils more than 270 million years old
Historic museum founded in 1866

Permanent exhibition

Percorso geologico e paleontologico – Three floors with collections of Sicilian fossils, the dwarf elephant room and the remains of “Thea”.

Founded: 1866
Operated by: Università degli Studi di Palermo – Sistema museale di Ateneo
Visitors per year: approx. 15,496

Admission & discounts

The standard rates reported by the sources are not up to date and range between €3 and €4 for a full ticket. For exceptional openings with guided tours the cost is €7 (€5 for children aged 5 to 10), with booking required.