Pops the Triceratops

Pops the Triceratops Skull In 1982, the first skull of a Triceratops was found in northern Weld County on land owned by Mr. and Mrs. Roland Mapelli. The Mapelli family donated the fossil to Weld County Government in 1986, and for 34 years Pops (the name Weld County employees gave the fossil) has greeted visitors to the Weld County Centennial Center and later the Weld County Administration Building.

Through a partnership with the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the fossil will be temporarily moved to the museum where it will be cleaned, reconstructed and studied before returning to Weld County for future generations of residents to enjoy.

We invite you to follow the journey of Pops the Triceratops on this webpage as well as on FacebookTwitter or Instagram, where we will not only will we highlight the progress of the restoration but also other fascinating facts about Weld County history.