Moab Rock Shop

At the edge of the town of Moab stands a store that is sure to interest hardcore geologists and casual visitors alike. Old mining equipment towers over rows of crates filled with colorful minerals, sparkling quartz, and chunks of fossilized dinosaur bone—and that’s just what couldn’t fit in the shop. The really cool stuff is inside.

The Moab Rock Shop was founded in 1960 by Lin Ottinger, also known as the Dinosaur Man. Ottinger, a self-taught geologist and paleontologist, first came to Moab in the 1950s after he visited a rock show in Boise. After finding out that a particularly fascinating piece of uranium ore had come from the Moab area, Ottinger and his family decided to stop there on the way to California. They were so entranced by the area that they never finished their journey, instead deciding to literally set up shop.

Lin Ottinger himself has discovered four species of dinosaur, including Iguanodon ottingerei, which was named in his honor. His rock shop features casts of the bones of some of these dinosaurs, as well as many other fossils. Visitors can also find meteorites, minerals, and rocks exotic and mundane for every budget. Toys and local art are also available for sale.