Kids love dinosaurs – and so do plenty of their parents. Once upon a time the giant creatures roamed North America, ranging far and wide. You can see their tracks (literally) and marvel at their skeletal mechanics. Here are three terrific places to track the traces of dinos:
- Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah has an exhibit hall that sits right atop the world-famous Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry. Some 1,500 bones are arrayed in the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Revel in the earthly remains of Allosaurus, Apatosauras, Camarasaurus, Diplodicus and Stegosaurus. There are lots of places where you can look and touch 149 million-year-old dinosaur fossils. Dinosaurs may no longer roam these precincts, but park rangers do, and they’re happy to answer your questions.
- Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado is a place where each singular skeleton has a story to tell – one of life and of death, of domination and survival. If you’re serious about learning about these creatures, Woodland Park is your destination of choice. The Resource Center houses a pair of ultra-rare Daspletosaurs. There are fewer of these specimens about than T-Rex, although you’ll find the all-time-favorite meat-eater here too. This is one of the world’s great repositories of dinosaur fossils, with more than 30 skeletons and “life restorations” on display.
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming is wondrous. The dioramas are especially intriguing, placing the creatures in what would have been replicas of their natural habitats. The center’s Hall of Dinosaurs houses The Thermopolis Specimen, the only Archaeopteryx in all of North America. Be sure to say hello to Stan, a 35-foot T-Rex and take in the Triceratops, Wyoming’s state dinosaur. There’s more, lots more. Aggregated here are the remains of dinosaurs and assorted ancient creatures from Scotland, Brazil and China as well.
(Image: wyodino.org)
