"The Dayton's Monkey" — missing for decades until its accidental discovery last month — is going back on public display.

The mummified remains have been turned over to the Science Museum of Minnesota by those renovating the department store chain's former flagship site in downtown Minneapolis — and the mysterious monkey's tomb.

"We will welcome this piece of Minnesota history for public viewing ... within the Science Museum lobby," Kim Ramsden, spokeswoman for the museum in downtown St. Paul, said Thursday. "[The monkey] is a fun piece of Minnesota history and a good example of the natural mummification process."

The monkey, stored in a project construction office since its discovery about a month ago, should be given to museum officials within a week. A date will soon be set for when public oohing and aahing can commence. The lobby has no admission fee.

"The Science Museum seemed like a natural fit for this item, given what we know of other items in their collection," said Lou Ann Olson, who is handling publicity for the Dayton's Project.

The monkey has taken on a life of its own since a photo of the remains was posted on Facebook on April 8 by a member of the construction crew who found the critter inside a ceiling.

Decades-old remains of a mummified monkey were found by crews working in Minneapolis on the massive renovation of the historic downtown Dayton’s building. (Old Minneapolis/facebook.com/oldmpls)

The monkey will join two other departed animals on display. Kuma the polar bear was given to the museum after she was killed by vandals at the Como Zoo in 1979. The zoo also gave the museum Don, a gorilla who died in 1994.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482