Muskegon — No need to find a time machine if you want to visit with the million-year-old mastodons—21 of them reside in downtown Muskegon.
Moxie the Mastodon stands outside the Lakeshore Museum Center. Life-size and sculpted out of bronze, Moxie is part of the Muskegon Public Art Initiative and represents a deeper part of Michigan history. The mastodon is the official state fossil and has been since 2002. The art installation, erected in 2019, honors that heritage.
The public art project, titled “Mastodons on the Loose,” features most prominently Moxie the Mastodon, situated to look like she is crawling out of a manhole, in search of the 20 mini mastodons scattered throughout the city.
The mastodons were created by megafauna sculptors Gillie and Marc. The married couple hails from Australia and specializes in land animals like the mastodons, specifically creating them out of bronze. The animals roamed through Michigan, including Muskegon, over 10,000 years ago.
The state fossil has been found in more than 250 locations across Michigan. Most recently, mastodon bones were found in Kent City in 2022. The elephantine beast typically grew up to 10 feet tall and weighed six tons, with the large male mastodons exceeding that size and stature.
Moxie, standing an impressive 7 feet 6 inches tall, is the beginning of a quirky scavenger hunt, one that according to our on-the-ground reporting, isn’t for the faint of heart: Some mastodons are not currently on display, a situation bound to frustrate any eager mastodon hunter.
According to the Muskegon Museum of History and Science, two mini mastodons named Mickey and Margo, who live near the splash pad and Muskegon Museum of Art, are currently undergoing repairs and maintenance.
Around downtown Muskegon, the 18 mini mastodons are hidden, and participants use clues to find the little creatures. If completed successfully, the Lakeshore Museum Center has a prize for you.
Hints for the mastodons vary but include ages of buildings, physical descriptions, and town history.
To find Mort, for example, participants should, “Take a tour of this Western Avenue location to learn more about the industrial heritage of Muskegon County.”
According to the clues, when searching for Manny: “This sleepy mastodon might be looking for a good night’s rest or maybe a meal. Stop by the lobby of this eight-story building to see if you can find him before he checks in.”
In case any of the clues prove to be too challenging, the museum provides a cheat sheet for less-dedicated participants.
Michigan is known for one of the most complete mastodon skeletons in the country, found near Owosso. Michigan’s Congressional delegation even introduced bipartisan legislation in 2024 to designate the mastodon as the national fossil, citing not only the connection the animal has to Michigan, but the country at large.
While the bronze statues represent the history of the mastodon through art, Michiganders can see real mastodon bones displayed across the state in both the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.
While the average Michigander might struggle to search for the real mastodon bones, the scavenger hunt in Muskegon is the next best thing for any wannabe paleontologists.
Kamden Mulder is a reporting fellow for Michigan Enjoyer.
