The Brigham Young University Museum of Paleontology was started in 1976 around the collection of James A. Jensen. For many years, it was known as the BYU Earth Science Museum,^[1] and most of the collection was in storage under the LaVell Edwards Stadium.^[2]

In October 2009, the museum held a grand opening of its new facilities during BYU homecoming week. With the 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) addition, it now displays most of the collection. The change of name clarifies that the museum actually houses a large collection of dinosaur bones and other fossils.^[3]

The museum is currently directed by Rodney Scheetz, who was one of Jensen's students at BYU. Its main purpose is to facilitate research, but it is open to the public.