It’s the sh—tiest museum in the world.
George Frandsen, who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of fossilized feces, opened a museum of his findings in Williams, Arizona
The aptly-named Poozeum houses thousands of pieces of coprolite — the scientific name of fossilized feces — including one of the world’s largest prehistoric poo specimens.
He opened the Poozeum in 2014 as an online resource while donating pieces of his exhibit to museums across the US. Frandsen said the “enthusiastic response” to the early stages of the Poozeum motivated him to open the physical location in many to address the “glaring absence of coprolite representation” in natural history museums.
“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,” Frandsen told Guinness World Records.
Frandsen has held the world record for the largest coprolite collection since 2015 with 1,277 specimens. Now, his loot stands at over 8,000 fossils, including that of dinosaurs and a renowned 27-inch sample of carnivore coprolite dubbed “Barnum.
Frandsen began hunting for coprolite when he was a teenager after he saw a piece in a science shop. He hopes the museum encourages attendees to become more interested in the prehistoric world.
“Instantly, I found it both hilarious and fascinating,” he said, adding that coprolite is a “prehistoric time capsules” into the diets and lives of our ancestors.
The 45-year-old quit his job in healthcare to pursue his dream of a fossilized poo museum earlier this year.
The Poozeum is free for all because Frandsen believes that “financial constraints should never hinder anyone from experiencing the wonders” of the world — even if they’re horrified by the prospect at first.
“Initially, many people react with a ‘yuck’ face or laughter when they first hear about the Poozeum,” Frandsen said, but people leave the “one of a kind” experience fascinated by the ancient substance.
