If you’re the adventuresome type who would jump at the chance to take a tour of Jurassic Park, Wyoming has the next best thing. When nature began revealing the treasure-trove of dinosaur bones hidden in the mountains near Thermopolis, the logical thing to do was to reassemble the skeletons and build a museum around them. With hundreds of displays and more than 30 mounted skeletons of actual dinosaurs, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center is as close to an amusement park filled with prehistoric creatures as you can get.
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center is located at 110 Carter Ranch Road in Thermopolis.
Small Living Big World/YouTube
The city is already well-known for the natural hot springs running through the area, but it came as a delightful surprise when, in 1993, the bones of creatures from the Jurassic Period were found literally sticking out of the mountainsides.
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
That discovery led to the unearthing of more dinosaur bones than researchers had ever hoped to find in one spot and, eventually, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center was constructed as a place for further research and to display the findings.
Small Living Big World/YouTube The center is more than just a museum. It also houses a world-class laboratory, and there’s a gift shop where you can purchase a memento of your visit.
It’s awesome and a little mind-blowing to walk through the museum part of the center and try to comprehend that the remains of the creatures displayed there were living, breathing, and roaming the land (and sea) at one time.
Small Living Big World/YouTube
It’s also impressive to realize that you’re standing next to some of the world’s most valuable prehistoric artifacts.
Small Living Big World/YouTube
There are more than 30 fully reconstructed skeletons at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, and they’re all very complete.
incidencematrix/Flickr
Among them you’ll see Jimbo, the Supersaurus - he’s a celebrity dinosaur of sorts, being one of the biggest ever mounted.
Small Living Big World/YouTube
There’s also a T-Rex who, even at 35-feet, is dwarfed by Jimbo.
Small Living Big World/YouTube
Plus, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center is the only place outside of Europe where you can view an Archaeopteryx, an important fossil that many believe is the missing link between dinosaurs and birds.
Wyoming Dinosaur Center Discovered nearby, this Archaeopteryx is called the “Thermopolis Specimen.”
You’ll learn a lot about sauropods and other creatures from the Jurassic Period, but it’s sure to leave you thirsting for more.
Greg Goebel/Flickr
For those who do want more, you can always join the on-site researchers in the Dig For A Day program.
Wyoming Dinosaur Center The program runs 7 days a week May through September and gives anyone who is interested a hands-on experience digging in a real-life bone bed. Over 10,000 bones have been found by visitors and staff at the center.
Here’s a quick peek at just part of the adventure to be had at the museum:
Small Living Big World/YouTube
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
The center is more than just a museum. It also houses a world-class laboratory, and there’s a gift shop where you can purchase a memento of your visit.
incidencematrix/Flickr
Wyoming Dinosaur Center
Discovered nearby, this Archaeopteryx is called the “Thermopolis Specimen.”
Greg Goebel/Flickr
The program runs 7 days a week May through September and gives anyone who is interested a hands-on experience digging in a real-life bone bed. Over 10,000 bones have been found by visitors and staff at the center.
Have you visited the Wyoming Dinosaur Center? What was your favorite part about the trip?
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