Mummified Monkey Found In Dayton's To Go On Display At Science Museum

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The infamous "Dayton's Monkey" will soon be available for all to see.

It all started when the remains of a monkey were discovered in the air ducts of the old Dayton's building in downtown Minneapolis. Workers found it while working on major renovations to the building.

Internet sleuths soon discovered a pet store in Dayton's that sold monkeys in the 1960s. Robbinsdale Mayor Regan Murphy even believes it may have been his father who released the monkey in the store, leading to its death and mummification in the low-moisture air ducts of the building, left preserved for decades.

Now, a representative for the Minnesota Science Museum says the monkey will soon be on display in the lobby -- a public area of the building, with no admission required.

"The Dayton's monkey is a fun piece of Minnesota history and example of the natural mummification process," Kim Ramsden of the Science Museum told WCCO in an email.

Ramsden says they're still working on details and aren't sure when the public will be able to see the monkey.