Finding Dinosaurs at Royal Tyrrell Museum Palaeontology Drumheller Alberta Canada – Visiting a Dinosaur museum was not the first thing that came to our mind when thinking of traveling the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta. But it was a great unexpected adventure doing a one-day road trip to the small town Drumheller, about 1.5 hours North-East of Calgary. The whole area of Red Deer River Valley is dedicated to the discoveries of a huge number of dinosaurs skeletons and fossils throughout the so-called Dinosaur Valley. Starting with our explorations of the28 km long valley of Dinosaurs, we visited the exhibits at Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.
The museum has a collection of more than 130,000 fossils. The first dinosaur was found in 1884 by the geologist Joseph Burr Tyrrell while he was searching for coal. Today, the Dinosaur Museum in Alberta is an attraction you should not miss on a trip to West Canada. Our favorite part of the exhibition was the “Dinosaur Hall”. With more than 40 mounted dinosaur skeletons of dinosaurs species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Albertosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops, we as gay travel blogger nerds and Jurassic Park fans felt home in Drumheller. Enjoy our article about a day at Dinosaurs Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta and see the Dinosaur Valley through a couple of men’s eyes.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum Palaeontology in Drumheller
Research, science, and history: the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller is a center of palaeontological research in the 28 km long Red Deer River valley where visitors can see through a huge glass window how scientist are preparing thousands of years old fossils for exhibition or research. Therefore, over 4,400 square meters of the museum are dedicated to the public to show exhibits found in the valley around Drumheller and the Tyrrell Museum. Already since 1985 tourist from all over the world as well as school classes from nearby are coming to the town of Drumheller to see the real dinosaurs, at least their fossilized bones. The “Royal” status was given to the Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in 1990.
A journey through time & geological eras
It was impressive from the beginning on! After getting in touch with the scientific background of the Museum by touching real dinosaur bones and taking fist pictures of gigantic skeletons, we followed the tour through the eras of our inhabited planet. From small water life forms, over a glass house with ferns and other plants that lived in prehistoric Alberta, to amphibians and the era of the biggest creatures populating our blue planet, the dinosaurs. Especially Karl was really impatient to finally enter the”Dinosaur Hall”. A stunning experience for both of us.
What to expect at Royal Tyrrell Museum?
Did you know how the bones of a brontosaurus leg really are? Well, Karl could find out! But there was more to explore and to learn. For example, about the diversity of Alberta’s dinosaur species. And don’t miss taking a selfie with the T-Rex, if you are a fan of the biggest carnivore of the Dinosaur Hall. The detailed work and quality of the exhibits were breathtaking. And so was the option to come so close to millions of years old earth history in the form of preserved fossils put together in their possibly past environment. The Royal Tyrrell Museum Palaeontology Drumheller is definitely a place where we (and many other children) didn’t want to leave again!
Read more about your stay in Calgary, Alberta:
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- Hotel Tip City Center: Stay at Fairmont Palliser Hotel Downtown Calgary >
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- All info about a Winter Road Trip Canadian Rocky Mountains >
Drumheller: A dinosaur fan’s paradise
Even after leaving the Museum, our exploration of the dinosaurs of Alberta was not over yet. Right next to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology you are invited to go on dinosaur discovery tour in Alberta’s badlands. Special full or half day itineraries help you to survive the summer heat and see how and where the fossils actually come from. What is your theory how the biggest life forms of our planet (besides the whales) instinct millions of years ago?
Dinosaur Photo Spots in Drumheller
Yes, the whole town of Drumheller is dedicated to the dinosaur theme. Climb up the giant T-Rex, drive away with a blue Pachycephalosaurus, or get some flowers of Mister brontosaurus. It is fun to go on a Drumheller discovery tour.
Royal Tyrrell Museum Palaeontology Drumheller:
Adress:
Royal Tyrrell Museum
1500 N Dinosaur Trail
Drumheller, AB T0J, Canada
Official Website: tyrrellmuseum.com/
Opening Hours: 7 days a week from 9 am to 9 pm
Contact:Tel.: +1 403-823-7707
Good to know:
Take your time before heading back to Calgary and explore Drumheller town with all the figures, sculptures, shops and hotels. We don’t regret our one-day road trip to the Canadian Dinosaurs.
Cheryl Godin
Friday 16th of December 2022
This was awesome! Our (dinosaur obsessed) family has been going to the museum since 1987, as well as camping down in Dinosaur Provincial Park 2 1/2 hrs. south, near Brooks. First with kids & now grandkids. The museum & tours at the park are ever changing so we like to go every couple of years. This is where hundreds of the examples you see in the Tyrell museum come from. There is nothing that blows your mind like seeing skeletons of those beasts laying in the ground where they dropped millions of years ago! Only 10% of the park is accessible so the tours with the knowledgeable staff are great. And again there is nothing like taking a little stroll & seeing some bone sticking out of the dirt as every rain fall pops up something new! It's a must see & do if you are ever out this way again! Check it out!