The Royal Tyrrell is a family-friendly shrine to all things dino, and would feel like one of the world’s most beautiful art galleries if so many of the exhibits weren’t so hands-on, though I’ll admit I was warned at least twice to keep from tapping on Shelly’s (the soft-shelled turtle) glass case. Luckily, even big kids like me are welcome to climb on top of some of the dinobots outside, while young and old are encouraged to wander the interpretive trails through the museum’s badlands, and hunt for fossil fragments or T-Rex teeth. I thought I found a T-Rex canine, but when I called the Tyrrell curator to investigate, he concluded it was dog poop. The Royal Tyrrell is an important center for paleontological research and houses some 130,000 fossils – many collected from the badlands on the museum’s doorstep – that make up the more than 40 mounted dino skeletons and other exhibits, which include a re-creation of a 375-million-year-old reef, an Ice Age exhibit, a Triassic Giant reptile display, and more. [Flash traveled to Alberta courtesy of Travel Alberta.]
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Hands-On Dino History
The Royal Tyrrell is a family-friendly shrine to all things dino, and would feel like one of the world’s most beautiful art galleries if so many of the exhibits weren’t so hands-on, though I’ll admit I was warned at least twice to keep from tapping on Shelly’s (the soft-shelled turtle) glass case. Luckily, even big kids like me are welcome to climb on top of some of the dinobots outside, while young and old are encouraged to wander the interpretive trails through the museum’s badlands, and hunt for fossil fragments or T-Rex teeth. I thought I found a T-Rex canine, but when I called the Tyrrell curator to investigate, he concluded it was dog poop. The Royal Tyrrell is an important center for paleontological research and houses some 130,000 fossils – many collected from the badlands on the museum’s doorstep – that make up the more than 40 mounted dino skeletons and other exhibits, which include a re-creation of a 375-million-year-old reef, an Ice Age exhibit, a Triassic Giant reptile display, and more. [Flash traveled to Alberta courtesy of Travel Alberta.]
Royal Tyrrell Museum, Alberta
It only makes sense that the province home to the most impressive dinosaur fossils in the world is also home to the most impressive dinosaur museum as well. Located in Drumheller, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is one of the best collections of dinosaur remains in the world. Be sure to spend the day there touring the museum as well as joining staff on walks, fossil finds and many more interpretive activities.
