The Royal Gorge Regional Museum
The Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center highlights the very best of Canon City. In the Royal Gorge, the Arkansas River cuts a deep canyon into the bedrock, with walls 1,000 ft. in height. These extremely unique natural features have drawn people to the Canon City area for thousands of years. From ancient hunters to modern whitewater rafters, the Royal Gorge has seen it all.
Noteworthy exhibits in the museum include Fossils of Fremont County and Fremont County in the Great War. The museum also features astonishing taxidermy of local animals including bighorn sheep, elk, and bison.
Fun Facts About Dinosaurs In Colorado
State dinosaur: In 1981, a group of students, learning that the first Stegosaurus was found by students and their teacher in 1937 near Canyon City, pushed the state to adopt a state dinosaur. In January 1982, it became the ninth state to do. The states dinosaur comparable to the size of a school bus is the Stegosaurus.
The first Stegosaurus in Colorado was found in 1937 near Canyon City and is now on display that the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Colorado Rockies mascot: Dinger, Colorado Rockies purple dinosaur mascot, was introduced on April 16, 1994, at Mile High Stadium. Why a dinosaur? When the stadium was being constructed, a 1,000 pound, 7-foot-long fossil was discovered at the site of the original Mile High Stadium. The story goes that Dinger hatched from an egg, also found there.
The Denver Basin preserves one of the best records of the extinction of the dinosaurs, according to Denver Museum of Nature & Science. A Triceratops was discovered as early as 1887, and unearthing the remnants of another time continues today, most recently with the discovery of a Triceratops in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in 2019.
We share some of our favorite places throughout the state to see and learn about these amazing finds. A good starting point is the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience provides an affordable, dynamic and high-value educational opportunity for kids of all ages and enables families to learn and recreate together on stunning property with views of the famed Royal Gorge Bridge and Colorados stunning Sangre de Cristo mountain range.
Our state-of-the-art, 16,200 square-foot building houses a world-class collection of interactive displays, full-scale dinosaur fossil casts, real dinosaur fossils, entertaining guided tours of our exhibit halls, and our outdoor skinned animatronic dinosaur exhibits and our multi-story ropes course ensure a fine balance between science, learning and good old-fashioned family fun.
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Denver Museum Of Nature & Science
From the Prehistoric Journey exhibit and Dinosaur Gulch in the Discovery Zone to films and dino-themed events, The Denver Museum of Nature & Science provides a number of attractions for dinosaur lovers. The Prehistoric Journey exhibit welcomes you with an interactive battle between a gargantuan stegosaurus and an 80-foot-long diplodocus towering overhead. After seeing the battle, you can wander prehistoric habitats, view ancient plants and examine fossils from the museum touch carts.
The Museum At Dinosaur Junction
If you are looking for something fun to do with the family this weekend, go back in time at The Museum at Dinosaur Junction in Edwards Colorado. They are having a Grand Opening. Learn more online at DinosaurJunction.org
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Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
Learn everything you wanted to know about prehistoric lizards at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park. Featuring some of the most spectacular dinosaurs, the resource center also has marine reptiles, flying reptiles and fish of North Americas late Cretaceous Period on display.
Proximity To The Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is situated on U.S. Highway 50, just 4.5 miles by car from the world-famous Royal Gorge, which is one of Colorados deepest canyons. Visitors can enjoy the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, where they can experience the countrys highest suspension bridge , gondola rides, zip lines and the Royal Rush Skycoaster. .
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Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience Museum And Ropes Course
Whether you are interested in urban activities like the U.S. Olympic Museum or natural wonders such as Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs, CO, is a really cool place to visit. Even better, Colorado Springs is just a short 90-minute drive from Denver International Airport .
The foothills to the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver and Colorado Springs are famous for their fossil deposits. Paleontologists have been coming to Colorado towns like Morrison and Canon City to hunt for dinosaur bones for well over a hundred years. In the late 1870s the Bone Wars ensued during a time when fossil hunting was very competitive and intense this period of time was also known as the Great Dinosaur Rush.
Located just east of Colorado Springs, the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is an entertaining experience for the whole family. The museum has adventure rides, educational exhibits, and kids activities.
Where To See Fossils In Colorado
Whether youre looking to enjoy the great outdoors or head to an indoor museum, there are many places throughout Colorado where you can learn more about the states prehistoric history and discoveries.
Some of the most popular places to learn about dinosaurs in Colorado are located in and around Denver. For those who are up for a road trip, heading further into the state allows you to explore unique landscapes like fossilized forests and stone quarries.
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Weather And Our Outdoor Attractions:
Weather in the Colorado Rockies often defines the word unpredictable, especially in the spring and fall and during the summers thunderstorm season. Because safety is always foremost in our minds, we reserve the right to close the Ropes Course and our Dinosaur Wild Walk to ensure the well being of our guests. If your visit to the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Museum coincides with a weather-related closure to our outdoor attractions, you can:
Take another spin through our museum and wait for the weather to clear
Collect a rain-check voucher from our ticketing office. You can return anytime during the same calendar year and present your voucher and your original receipt and enjoy our outdoor attractions.
After an hour of weather-related delays, we are more than happy to refund the outdoor-portion of your ticket farejust present your receipt at our ticketing office and we will take care of you and your family.
Dinosaur Discovery On Skyline Drive In Caon City Excavated 20 Years Ago Still Popular
Look to the left on the way up Skyline Drive off U.S. 50 outside Cañon City to see the dinosaur trackway.
- Courtesy of Rob Kelley
The ankylosaurus dinosaur was three-toed and weighed 7 tons, paleontologists say, and it would leave large indents in the mud.
- Courtesy of Rob Kelley
CAÑON CITY As if the tip-top view from scenic Skyline Drive isnt awesome enough, another attraction on the narrow, no guardrail-road also sticks out.
After entering through a 1932 stone archway off U.S. 50, giant protruding nubs to the left deserve a looky-loo. Or even a stop along the one-lane road to read the interpretive signs and get closer to the past.
At first glance, its hard to identify the unusual bulges, said Zach Reynolds, president of Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience. The educational and interactive museum near the Royal Gorge has local dinosaur heritage and a wild walk featuring 15 animatronic dinosaurs.
But, he said, Once you point it out, its pretty easy to see. The interpretive signage is a linchpin.
Reverse casts of actual footprints of ankylosaurus dinosaurs have been preserved in the exposed shale and limestone strata. Estimated age: 68 million to 65 million years.
The Skyline Drive Dinosaur Trackway, in the Hogbacks Open Space Recreation Area, is a journey through time thats marking a 20th anniversary.
Discovered by a graduate-level paleontology student William Kurtz, the site was excavated in 1999 by a team from a now-shuttered dinosaur museum in Cañon City.
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The Absolute Best Things To Do In Canon City Colorado
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From scenic drives to natural wonders and local favorites, Cañon City is a small Colorado town with loads of things to do.
Although the spelling is weird, this town is surrounded by large canyons and the picturesque Arkansas River.
During any season of the year, Canon City offers fun things to do indoors and out. There are plenty of museums, galleries, sprawling landscapes, and historical places to visit.
Thinking of living in Colorado? This guide will help you avoid costly mistakes and remove the stress of planning so you can experience the joys of mountain living.
While I cant cover all of the amazing things to do in Canon City, I am offering some of our favorite destinations and hidden gems.
Youll find Cañon City located about an hour south west of Colorado Springs along Highway 115.
Weather Forecast For Dinosaur Depot Museum Canon City Colorado
If you planning to travel to Dinosaur Depot Museum, Canon City, Colorado, here is your 6-day travel weather forecast to make sure you have all the essentials needed during your stay.Start your day when the sunrises at 2:07 PM.The temperature feels like 38.05 with a humidity level of 27 so dress accordingly.Cloud coverage is 66 percent with visibility at 2.5 percent.Todays UV index is 0, dont forget the sunscreen if you need it!Todays winds are traveling west-southwest at a speed of 14 MPH. At the end of the day dont miss the sunset at 11:39 PM.
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San Luis Valley Museum Alamosa
The San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado is more than a scenic wonder, when you stumble upon the museum located in Alamosa municipality, in Colorado. The Sans Luis Valley Museum allows you to explore the Native American artifacts, Japanese-American community, Hispanic settlers, military, regalia, early railroads, Adams University and much more.
This historical journey will get you exciting exhibits from antiques, photographs, artifacts, and collectibles portraying the early farm and ranch life.
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Museum
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience showcases the history of dinosaurs in the area. As you will see when you visit the museum, dinosaurs were actually the first residents of Colorado! At the dinosaur museum, you can view a real fossil dig, or check out a number of interactive exhibits for the whole family.
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A Dino Experience Interactive Dinosaurs Museum Activity Center Ropes Course And Wild Dinosaur Walk
You don’t have to be a kid to love dinosaurs, nor do you have to be four feet or under to have a stellar visit at the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience, Canon City’s newest and highly-rated attraction.
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 of our 16,000 square foot museum, a full scale outdoor animatronic dinosaur park, and two engaging three-story ropes courses that bring you eye to eye with animated dinosaurs.
DINOSAUR FACTS: In the 1870s, when very little was still known about dinosaurs, two paleontologists (Edward D. Cope and Othniel C. Marsh: discovered the first of many fossilized bones in the now Historical Landmark –Garden Park Fossil Area. The “Great Dinosaur Rush” from 1872-1892 put Garden Park, and Canon City, on the map as scientists raced to discover new species of dinosaurs. Since then, many well-known species of large dinosaurs have been uncovered at this and other sites throughout Cañon City, some of which are now exhibited at such renowned institutions as the Smithsonian Institute and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
LOCATION: the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is just west of downtown Canon City on US Highway 50.
ADDRESS: 44895 US 50, Canon City CO 81212
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How To Reach Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience In Caon City
About:
Interactive museum for kids with a life-size dinosaur park, indoor displays, theater & rope course.
Step 1: Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is located in Cañon City, United States. Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience rating is 4.3 star out of 5, based on 764 reviews on their business profile on Google Maps.
Step 2: One can visit their website dinoxp.com or may call to +17192752726 for inquiry.
Step 3: Address of Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is 44895 W U.S. 50, Cañon City, CO 81212, United States. Coordinates are also mentioned in this article, Latitude is 38.4970906 and longitude is -105.3258045.
Step 4: Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience plus code is FMWF+RM Cañon City, Colorado, USA. Instead of addresses with street names and numbers, Plus Codes are based on latitude and longitude, and displayed as numbers and letters. Plus Codes are like street addresses for people or places that don’t have one. So you can also easily reach Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience using plus code instead of a complete address.
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Caon City Brews & Bikes
If you enjoy drinking a brew and riding a bike, then youll love Cañon City Brews & Bikes.
During the winter, fat biking is something you see in Colorado quite often. Those thicc, fat tires are perfect for all the landscape types and weather conditions.
Not only that, but they are fun to ride and allow you to tackle any terrain, whether snow or rain, dusty trail or muddy road.
Canon City is a fantastic place for doing some mountain biking too. There are dozens of outstanding trails within a short riding distance from the city.
Its easy to disappear into the backcountry for some fantastic trail riding with fantastic views.
Renting a bike from Canon City Brews and Bikes comes with all the safety equipment you need for a day out.
Plus, youll get access to professionals at the store who can provide detailed trail maps and recommendations.
Ask about the areas hidden gems amongst the canyon land that this city derives its name from.And who can forget the Brews part in the name .
Sip a brew and enjoy some time to chill in the outdoor patio and Beer Garden before hitting the trails again.
Getting there early before you head out on two-wheels you can find some great local beers on tap.
Bighorn Sheep Canyon River Rafting
One of Colorados best outdoor activities has to be whitewater rafting. So, naturally it is one of the top recommendations on our list of things to do in Canon City.
Get a scenic introduction to this sport on a half-day rafting trip of Bighorn Sheep Canyon.
Over about 3 hours you and your family will enjoy an easy rafting experience along the Arkansas River.
With mellow rapids and calm waters, this activity is perfect for kids ages 6 and up. Plus, an expert guide will come along to ensure complete safety at all times.
Youll learn the basics of paddling and rafting as this is an ideal rafting tour for beginners.
All rafting gear is included as well as a brief training session, transportation and river slideshow.
This Bighorn Sheep Canyon Half-Day Rafting trip is hosted by Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours and has more than 200 five-star reviews!
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Can I Rent Houses Near Dinosaur Depot Museum
Yes, of course. Vrbo has 70 Houses near Dinosaur Depot Museum. Our other popular types of vacation rentals near Dinosaur Depot Museum include:
- Cabins: 21 rentals available
- Cottages: 20 rentals available
- Condos/Apartments: 11 rentals available
But you can also enjoy a great stay in one of our other vacation rentals including Villas and more.
Geology: Dinosaur & Fossil Finds
View prehistoric tracks, walk discovery trails, search for fossils or visit the Royal Gorge Regional History Museum to see an outstanding display of fossils, dinosaur bones, and a complete Stegosaurus replica skeleton displayed as it was found in the ground in 1992.
Garden Park Fossil Area
Garden Park Fossil Area, located just north of Cañon City on Red Canyon Road, is a 3,600-acre area that has been producing significant dinosaur fossils for nearly 125 years. Most of the Jurassic dinosaurs on display at Smithsonians Museum of Natural History are from this area. Three stegosaurus skeletons, including Colorados state fossil, were excavated here.
Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site
The privately owned Indian Springs Trace Fossil Site is also designated by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark. Located just east of Cañon City on the private Thorson Family Ranch, the National Park Service designated it as a National Natural Landmark due to the importance of the Ordovician Period trace fossils found there. These trace fossils include tracks left by trilobites, fish and other prehistoric creatures on the bottom of an ancient ocean. Indian Springs is considered the best locality to study Ordovician Period trace fossils in North America because of the excellent preservation and wide variety of ichnospecies, or types of trace fossils, found there.
Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience
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Royal Gorge Regional Museum & History Center
The museum inside the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park offer a rich look into the history of the region and its people. Many of the items on display at the former Dinosaur Resource Center, which closed a few years back, now call the museum home. Enjoy an array of prehistoric related items including the well-known replica dinosaurs.
How Much Does The Museum And Ropes Course Cost
The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience has multiple entry fee options for your familys visit to the Colorado Springs region. That being said, you can opt to buy an all-inclusive ticket and soak in everything that the museum has to offer. Otherwise, you can purchase an ala-carte ticket if you only want to experience a single attraction such as the ropes course, the museum tour, or the Wild Walk where the animatronic dinosaurs dwell.
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