Prehistoric goods feature of Kalispell Rock shop

Everything from beads and jewelry to dinosaur bones and petrified wood makes up the wares at one of the more unique specialty shops in the area.

Located at 103 East Cottonwood Drive, the Kalispell Rock shop is owned and operated by local fossil hunters Aamon and Chantel Jaeger, with the help of jewelry maker Haven McCartney, and features a little bit of everything for the mineral and fossil enthusiast.

“Of course, we have our dinosaurs and our petrified wood that we get in Arizona, but we also have so much more,” Aamon Jaeger said. “From going to shows, we have gained the ability to work with others who dig this kind of stuff all over the world, which allows us to get our material directly from the source. That has been great and it also helps keep our prices down.”

Opened in March 2022 with a grand opening in January of this year, the Jaegers purchased the rock shop from a man who dealt in just rocks and minerals, but the couple quickly expanded the inventory.

What started with just four tables of rocks and minerals has now grown into wall-to-wall displays of all kinds, including beads, fossils, geodes, crystals and more.

There is always something new finding its way into the shop.

“We are constantly cycling items in and out of the store,” Aamon said. “That way, if anyone comes here every few months they will always find cool new dinosaur stuff. That can be big bones, little bones and everything in between.”

With the help of friends the Jaegers have made at rock and mineral shows around the country, their shop features shark teeth from scuba divers in North Carolina, ammonites from Germany, obsidian from Mexico, Triassic fossils from Arizona and much more.

“We get to work with people who are as excited about fossils as we are, they just work with things other than dinosaurs,” Aamon said.

Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the shop has been doing well, Aamon says, and may soon be open on Sundays as well.

“I’ve been really happy with the reception we have received from the community,” he said. “We have found that a mineral shop with fossils seems to be a good combination. People think it is great that they can come in and get something shiny and turn around and also grab a dinosaur bone at the same time.”

While the shop may be open six days a week, the Jaegers are more often than not out in the field in search of their next big find.

“The great thing about fossils is that they are literally everywhere. There are so many more fossils out there than there are people looking for them,” Aamon said. “It’s the same with crystals and minerals. It’s a great pastime. It’s healthy. It’s fun and you get to learn a lot.”

To learn more about the Kalispell Rock Shop and keep up with what’s new, find Aamon on Facebook or search for NorthWest Montana Fossils.