Back in the day — way back in the day — dinosaurs roamed around Colorado. If you have a dinosaur lover in your house, you are living in the right place! From dinosaur museums to fossil sites and interactive exhibits, here’s a guide to some of the best dinosaur attractions in Colorado.
Dinosaur Attractions in Colorado
Denver Museum of Nature & Science (Denver)
Start your dinosaur adventure at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, home to one of the most extensive dinosaur fossil collections in the world. Check out bones of the triceratops and T-Rex towering over the museum. See paleontologists at work in the fossil preparation lab.
Mom Tip: Before you go, check out this site from the museum that details the discovery of dinosaurs in the Denver metro!
Dinosaur Ridge + Natural History Museum (Morrison)
Just a short drive from Denver, Dinosaur Ridge is an outdoor museum experience with evidence of dinosaurs through tracks, fossils and geological formations. You’ll walk along a 1.5 mile paved trail that accommodates strollers, but plan a pretty intense incline. You’ll see more than 300 dinosaur tracks.
Mom Tip: Consider making a reservation for a guided walk with a geologist or dinosaur expert to help you interpret what you’re seeing.
Also in Morrison, you can visit the Natural History Museum which has an impressive collection of dinosaur bones, tracks and eggs. Knowledgeable staff lead kids in hands-on activities.
Mom Tip: Purchase a Dino Pass to visit both attractions for a discounted price.
Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience (Cañon City)
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience gives kids of all ages the opportunity to experience science-focused interactive displays, full-scale dinosaur fossil casts, hands-on exhibits with real dinosaur fossils, skinned animatronic dinosaur exhibits, guided tours, and—for added family fun, value and lasting memories—a multi-story ropes course. This is a great option for families with kids in multiple age brackets.
Mom Tip: Buy your tickets online to save up to $5 per ticket.
Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center (Woodland Park)
This state-of-the-art museum features beautifully preserved dinosaur specimens, interactive displays, and educational programs designed for kids of all ages. Be sure to check out the working fossil preparation lab and the impressive Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.
Petrified Forest Loop Trail (Florissant)
Explore ancient forests frozen in time at the Petrified Forest Loop Trail in Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, a 1.5 mile loop hike, 50 minutes from Colorado Springs. This easy hike takes you through a landscape dotted with petrified stumps, fallen trees and lots of fossils.
Mom Tip: Download a Junior Paleontologist Activity Booklet from the National Park Service before you go! You can also get a Junior Ranger badge at the visitors center.
Dinosaur Journey Museum (Fruita)
Dinosaur Journey is a regional paleontological and geological museum that tells the story of the history of life in Western Colorado and surrounding areas with real fossils, cast skeletons, and reconstructions of dinosaurs and other paleo species. The hands-on, interactive museum includes over 15,000 fossil specimens in its collections, exhibits and displays featuring discoveries from the region, a viewable paleontology laboratory where dinosaur bones are prepared for display, a sandbox for making your own dinosaur tracks, and a “quarry site” where kids can uncover actual Jurassic dinosaur bones.
Dinosaur, Colorado
In the farthest Northwest corner of Colorado along the Blue Mountain Range is the tiny town of Dinosaur, Colorado. This town once known as Artesia, changed its name in 1966 to Dinosaur to capitalize on the popularity of the Dinosaur National Monument, located just two miles east of the Town of Dinosaur. There are no dinosaur bones on the Colorado side, but once you venture across the Utah border, you’re in for a treat!
It’s no doubt Colorado is the perfect state for dinosaur-loving kids. Plan some road trips and enjoy your pre-historic adventure!
