It’s hard to miss “Archie.” When you enter the University of Nebraska State Museum at Morrill Hall on the UNL City Campus in Lincoln, a life-sized bronze statue of him greets you on the plaza outside.

As you enter the museum, there is a room called Elephant Hall containing fossilized skeletons of prehistoric creatures depicting the natural history of Nebraska, including Archie.

His skeleton, found in Lincoln County in 1922, stands more than 15½ feet tall and is the world’s largest Columbian mammoth skeleton, brought to Morrill Hall in 1933. Remains of mastodons and mammoths have been found in every Nebraska county, so having the world’s largest on display should be of no surprise.

CRAZY CREATURES: It’s a sure bet that Nebraska looked a lot different in prehistoric times, with different creatures including saber-toothed cats, such as this vicious-looking animal on display at Morrill Hall.

Paleontologists believe that Archie roamed Nebraska during an ice age between 2 million and 10,000 years ago, along with other prehistoric animals like camels, bison, saber-toothed cats and rhinoceroses, to name just a few. But Archie isn’t the only attraction at Morrill Hall. Each floor of the museum reveals another layer of the state’s natural history.

Floor by floor

On the main floor where visitors enter, displays cover paleontology of the state, with specialized rooms of bizarre beasts, fossil rhinos and horses, Elephant Hall, a gift shop, and the Mueller Planetarium.

Related:Valentine bridge on the Cowboy Trail

The first floor in the basement holds displays of Nebraska wildlife, along with a classroom, Marx Discovery Center, an educator’s resource center and an auditorium. If you head up to the third floor, you will see displays on dinosaurs, weapons throughout time and the first people of the Plains.

TALK TO PALEONTOLOGIST: Visitors to the gallery at Morrill Hall have the opportunity to visit paleontologists on-site, to learn more about the field and to learn more about the natural history of the state.

The fourth floor is called “Cherish Nebraska,” with exhibits on the state’s landscapes over time, including the evolution of the state’s prairies.

Hosting hundreds of schoolchildren each year, the museum offers gallery tours on the prehistory of the state; or scientific movies with a full dome experience in the planetarium, with titles such as “Solar Superstorms” or “Dinosaurs at Dusk.”

WHAT REMAINS: All kinds of fossilized skeletons are on display at Morrill Hall, showcasing the prehistoric wildlife of the state.

Guests can also talk directly with paleontologists working on-site, and ask questions about the natural history of Nebraska and current research going on around the state.

Archie may be the star attraction at Morrill Hall, but there is more to see and plenty of things to do during a visit to the State Museum on campus.

Learn more about Morrill Hall and the UNL State Museum at museum.unl.edu.