Kansas dinosaur attraction asks for public’s help after several artifacts go missing
A popular attraction near Wichita is asking for the public’s help after several one-of-a-kind artifacts went missing this week.
Field Station: Dinosaurs, located in Derby, posted on Facebook Wednesday, Aug. 27 informing the public of the missing items.
“Recently, multiple items were stolen from Field Station: Dinosaurs, including multiple fossils, an authentic meteorite sample, Kansas historical artifacts, and more. All of these items are easily identified by our staff and most are one-of-a-kind,” the Facebook post reads.
Garion Masterson, park manager, told The Eagle that employees noticed the missing artifacts late Wednesday. Because the park doesn’t have security footage around the area they were displayed, it’s hard to tell exactly when the artifacts were taken.
“Tuesday morning our site manager, who had come in to do some landscaping work, … informed me that there was about $700 worth of landscaping equipment batteries stolen,” Masterson said. “So sometime between Tuesday morning and Sunday night [the] items were likely taken.”
The other items were part of the attraction’s Buried Treasures: Kansas Underground exhibit, which includes artifacts found in the state. Among the missing items are a mososaur jaw, a Spanish cannonball, a meteorite (which came with a certificate of authenticity), a small Native American doll and a xiphactinus fossil.
“Just multiple items that were all … one of a kind,” Masterson said.
This isn’t the first suspected theft this week.
“Sunday, we recognized that two items had been missing as well,” he said. “And Sunday evening, while I was here late, there was an incident where I found a person ... on the trails and [they] bolted.”
After those first instances, Masterson said staff filed a police report and they are planning to file another.
Derby Deputy Police Chief Lem Moore told The Eagle they hadn’t received a call about the theft as of Thursday afternoon, but did get a call about a suspicious person at the attraction earlier in the week.
“We believe that there [is a] concerted effort to come take these things and to take multiple items,” Masterson said.
If you have any information on where the stolen items may be, you can confidentially email ksinfo@fieldstationdinosaurs.com. You can also call Derby police’s non-emergency line at 316-788-1557.
Masterson said the goal is to find the artifacts and get them back where they belong.
“We’re focused on getting things so that we can bring joy back to families, and bring this education back to families,” Masterson said.
Field Station: Dinosaurs has 10 acres of walking trail with more than 40 life-size, moving replica dinosaurs. It also has a mini-golf course, a fossil dig site and more.
The trails are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM.
