Our Story

Fossil Realm’s story begins in 1984 with Jim Lovisek and Liz Komisar, who founded the Toronto Nature Centre—a science camp inspiring young naturalists through workshops, live animal presentations and field trips. Their camp’s thriving fossil and mineral gift shop eventually grew into a full-time store in Toronto, attracting fossil collectors across Ontario.

Liz Komisar (left) is the co-founder of the Toronto Nature Centre and former Media Relations Director at the Royal Ontario Museum. Photo Credit: Miss Chatelaine (1978).

Toronto Nature Centre campers explore a local wetland. The camp introduced youths to the natural sciences through ambitious field trips and engaging classroom projects. 

Carrying on his parents’ legacy, Peter Lovisek launched Fossil Realm in 2002. Initially selling through online auction platforms, the company transitioned to FossilRealm.com in 2012, embracing e-commerce and opening a showroom while exhibiting at trade shows. By 2017, Fossil Realm shifted fully online, allowing a greater focus on acquisitions and offering high-end specimens to clients worldwide.

Peter Lovisek exhibiting at the Bancroft Rockhound Gemboree (2013). In the early years of the company, many specimens were displayed at trade shows across Ontario.

Inside the Fossil Realm showroom in Toronto, Ontario (2015). Located in a 2000 square-foot warehouse, it was open to the public several times a year from 2012 to 2017.

In 2024, Fossil Realm expanded to a gallery and office space in Ottawa’s lively Glebe neighborhood. Today, the company is a leading natural history gallery and consultancy, serving museums, private collectors, and investors. 

Peter Lovisek poses with "E.T." - a famous Camarasaurus skeleton on disaplay at the Aathal Dinosaur Museum near Zurich, Switzerland.