Planning a road trip for dinosaur-loving friends or relatives? Add these US locations to your list and unearth some interesting facts!
Whether you want to expand your knowledge on dinosaurs or have a dino-loving friend, start traveling to learn more about these prehistoric reptiles.
Learning about dinosaurs is a joy for all ages. Some love learning about dinosaurs because of their influence on culture. Likewise, some want to see what pop culture gets wrong in dino-centric movies. But others love unearthing dinosaur facts because of their admiration for science.
There are many great places to travel and learn more about dinosaurs in the United States. In fact, the best places to learn about dinosaurs in the US stretch from New York to Wyoming! So, start packing your bags to uncover some fascinating facts on Mesozoic beasts.
Utah: Dinosaur National Monument
Another travel location to add to your list is Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, Utah. This national monument is the location scientists found many fossils in the early 1900s. You can explore the Quarry Exhibit Hall, where dinosaur skeletons are embedded in the rocks!
Illinois: Field Museum
Start your journey at the home of SUE, the T. Rex—she’s still one of the biggest dinosaurs ever discovered! Her home, the Field Museum in Chicago, is great for anyone looking to uncover some dinosaur facts. SUE is one of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever found, making this a prime travel location on your dino-centric road trip.
Another reason to add this to your travel list is because SUE is the most complete T. Rex found so far. While at the Field Museum, you can also watch the dinosaur animations in motion to understand how they moved. The Field Museum even has sensing stations so you can experience how dinosaurs sounded, felt, and smelled!
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Utah and Colorado: Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway
Why not go on a road trip to explore one of the best places in the world for dinosaur lovers? Do everything from looking at fossils to understanding dinosaur diets on your road trip.
Paleontologists have uncovered many fossils along this stretch of road. Better yet, as you drive, you can visit various museums with different fossils! As you travel, some of the sites you’ll see include:
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry
- Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways
Those who have gone on the trip say it’s best to travel in the fall and that it takes as little as three to four days, making it perfect for a long weekend getaway. Plan the ideal vacation centered around learning more about the beasts that once ruled the Earth!
Montana: Museum of the Rockies
Affiliated with the Smithsonian, The Museum of the Rockies is perfect for unearthing some fascinating dinosaur facts. This museum is known as one of the greatest museums in the world for history and research! Some of the many things you can see are the:
- Growth series of Triceratops and T. Rex
- “Big Al” Allosaurus
- Largest collection of T. Rex
Adding the Museum of the Rockies to your list is a must—you can explore dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, and show off your dinosaur knowledge! You can even watch fossil preparators remove fossils from rock in the Bowman Dinosaur Viewing Lab.
Washington, DC: Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is yet another one of the best places to learn about dinosaurs. Here, you can walk through a 31,000-square-foot fossil hall and explore the Mesozoic Era! Even more fascinating, you can delve into the ecosystem and see how the Earth changed firsthand. As you do this, you’ll also get to see over 700 fossils of ancient specimens!
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