- Now that is one big pile of s***.
When you have a dream, you will do whatever it takes to pursue it. Even if that means quitting your established career.
That’s what George Frandsen did.
The Arizona man resigned from his successful job at a major healthcare company to open his own museum. At the Poozeum, located in Williams, Arizona, you can see all kinds of fossilized crap.
We don’t mean that there are various types of petrified things on display. Frandsen’s museum is dedicated entirely to displaying literal fossilized turds.
After all, Frandsen is the proud owner of the world’s largest collection of coprolites. That’s a fancy word for the aforementioned forestoned poop nuggets.
Although the Poozeum has technically existed for multiple years, it has so far only loaned its extensive poop collection to other museums. But on May 18, Frandsen flung the establishment’s doors open to the public for the first time.
Now, the Poozeum is the “world’s premier dinosaur poop museum and gift shop,” Frandsen says. And as the cherry on top of the mound, entrance is free to all.
The World’s Largest Dinosaur Poop Collection
We can snicker and chuckle as much as we want, but coprolites are scientifically valuable. After all, they’re our only direct window into what dinosaurs ate.
Well, maybe the fossilized dinosaur butthole is the real window and the coprolites are… Look, we’re just saying coprolites are important.
Yet, despite their significance, the dinosaur enthusiast Frandsen rarely saw them displayed in museums.
“Several years ago, I noticed a glaring absence of coprolite representation in mainstream sources and museum exhibits,” he explained to Guinness World Records.
That wouldn’t do. Frandsen decided that he would be the one to fill the world’s dinosaur exhibits with s***.
So, he started collecting coprolites, and he went all in on his stinky new passion too. In 2015, Guinness World Records crowned him the owner of the world’s largest coprolite collection with 1,277 stone turds in his possession.
Oh, but Frandsen didn’t stop there. Getting the official record opened new doors for him.
“After 2015, I was able to network with people who offered to give, sell, and even trade coprolites to me from all over the world,” he said.
Today, Frandsen owns roughly 8,000 pieces of fossilized poop, according to his own estimate. His collection is so expansive that he has now stopped hoarding every coprolite he can find.
Instead, he now focuses on quality. Only the “most incredible pieces” will now be added to his Poozeum.
Pieces like “Barnum,” the 26-inch-long T. rex turd that’s the world’s largest carnivore coprolite.
Finding a Permanent Home
As we mentioned, however, the Poozeum isn’t exactly a new thing. We’ve even talked about it in an earlier story.
Until now, however, the Poozeum has been an entirely online entity. The website has detailed why coprolites are important and showcased some of the most significant pieces of crap from Frandsen’s collection.
When the Poozeum ventured into the real world, it was in the halls of other museums. Frandsen loaned his sprawling poop collection to other museums on a semi-regular basis.
And whenever he did so, people loved it.
“The enthusiastic response from visitors to these temporary exhibits highlighted the demand for a dedicated space where coprolites could be prominently showcased and their scientific significance thoroughly explored,” Frandsen said.
“This realization ignited my resolve to establish a permanent home for the collection, allowing my vision for the Poozeum to be fully realized and appreciated by all.”
A Big Change
It’s very easy to appreciate the crappy collection, too, since entry is free. Anybody can just walk in to admire ancient poop.
“I would like to emphasize that our museum is open to everyone every day, free of charge. We believe that financial constraints should never hinder anyone from experiencing the wonders within our exhibits,” said Frandsen.
“Kids especially LOVE it!” he added.
But the Poozeum still has to pay bills to keep the lights on. To this end, the museum operates a dinosaur gift shop, from which it generates most of its revenue.
Still, moving to become a full-time coprolite curator likely marked a significant pay cut for Frandsen. After all, he was the Senior Director of Safety, Security, Logistics, and Hospitality at a large healthcare firm before making his career move.
Yet, he doesn’t regret his decision.
“It was an excellent job, working with incredible people. However, my dream has been to start a Poozeum Museum, where my vision could come to life,” Frandsen said.
“Earlier this year, everything in life aligned for this crazy idea to take flight. So, I made the very difficult decision to resign from my job, sold our house, and moved 2,000 miles to Williams, Arizona, for this dream to take hold.”
A dream is a dream, even if it’s caked in dinosaur poop. We at Oddee wish all the best to Frandsen and the s***iest museum in the world.
Like, in a good way.