5 places to see Mastodon remains in Upstate New York

Two Mastodons reside right here in Orange County, New York. 

Mastodons are extinct elephant-like mammals who roamed the earth until about 10,000 years ago. There are several places where their skeletal remains can be seen in upstate New York.

New York State Museum in Albany

The museum features the Cohoes Mastodon, which was discovered in 1866 during construction of Harmony Mill No. 3 near Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River. In life, the Cohoes Mastodon stood about eight and one-half feet high at the shoulder, was about fifteen feet long, and weighed between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds.

Address: Cultural Education Center, 260 Madison Avenue, Albany | Directions

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Mondays

Admission: The museum is free. Donations are accepted at the door.

For more information,visit the museum's website.

Paleontological Research Institution in Ithaca

The institute houses the Hyde Park specimen, an American mastodon 30-40 years old that may have weighed as much as 10,000-15,000 pounds It lived approximately 11,500 radiocarbon years ago.

Address: 1259 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca 14850 | Directions
Hours: Thursday-Monday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tue-Wed: Closed

Admission: Adults, $8; Senior (65+), $6; College Student w/ ID, $6; Youth (4-17), $5; Child (3 and under), free

For more information, visit the institute's website

Museum Village in Monroe (Orange County)

The museum houses Harry, one of three complete specimens of the mastodon in the world. He was given his name because he was unearthed just a few miles down the road in Harriman, in 1952.

Address: 1010 State Route 17M, Monroe, 10950 | Directions

Hours:  Sat-Sun 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission: Adults, $10; seniors: $8; Children 4-12: $8; Children under 4, free

For more information, visit the museum's website.

Buffalo Museum of Science

It features an exhibit called "Rethink Extinct,'' interactive displays as well as dinosaurs, mastodons, fossils, and other specimens -- both extinct or threatened by extinction -- from the museum's collections.

Address: 1020 Humboldt Parkway, Buffalo, 14211 | Directions
Hours: Open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission: Adults, $13; seniors (62-plus), $10; Children (2-17), $10; Students/military with ID $10.

For more information, visit the museum's website

SUNY Orange in Middletown (Orange County)

SUNY Orange is home to "Sugar" the Sugar Loaf mastodon. Sugar greets all students as they enter the Bio-Tech building's main entrance. This mastodon skeleton was found in 1972 near the Warwick-Chester border and was donated to the people of Orange County by the New York State Archaeological Association. The skeleton belonged to that of a 20 foot long male that possessed an unusual tusk in the lower jaw and stood almost 9 feet tall at the pelvis. The mastodon has been radiocarbon dated at 7910 B.C. (plus or minus 225 years).

Address: 15 South St., Middletown, NY 10940 | Directions

For more information, visit the school's website.