10 Adventurous Spots To Explore Utah's Prehistoric Giants
By Catherine Armstrong|Published August 12, 2017
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Catherine Armstrong
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
If you find dinosaurs fascinating, then Utah is the perfect place for you. The Beehive State’s geography was perfect for the preservation of dinosaur bones – its plateau during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods was nice and dry, making it possible for the remains of millions of years ago to fossilize. Today, Utah is a hotbed of activity for paleontologists all over the world, and the state even has a few dinosaurs named after it. If you want to learn more about Utah’s first residents, here are some places to visit.
Please note: This article focuses only on spots that offer dinosaur education in addition to dinosaur remains or sculptures – there are also many places in Utah’s outdoors to walk alongside dinosaur tracks!
This fun park is a perfect outdoor adventure for kids and adults alike. Stroll along the paths to see more than 100 dinosaur sculptures in realistic poses and settings. Then, visit the museum to see dinosaur bones and even try your own dig. 155 East Park Boulevard, Ogden. Click here to read our article.
2. Museum of Ancient Life, Thanksgiving Point in Lehi
This huge museum claims to have the largest collection of full dinosaur skeletons in the world, and you'll be thrilled and delighted with assortment of remains here. You can even watch paleontologists unearthing a 150-million-year-old barosaurus. Click here to read our article.
Located in the foothills above the University of Utah, the Natural History Museum of Utah has a huge area dedicated to dinosaurs. The museum has the world's largest collection of horned dinosaur skulls. Check out the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation Paleontology Preparation Lab, where scientists prepare specimens every day.
To learn more, click here.
BYU has a huge collection of Jurassic-era dinosaurs, but much of it is in storage. The very best pieces are on display in the small (and FREE) museum. It's located at 1683 North Canyon Road in Provo.
To learn more, click here.
This fun, interactive little museum in Blanding has dinosaur skeletons, fossilized dinosaur eggs, interactive exhibits and tons more to entertain and inform you.
To learn more, click here.
This museum opened in 1948, and it just keeps getting better. When you enter the museum, a 90-foot-tall Diplodocus skeleton greets you. Inside, you'll find galleries covering every prehistoric time period. Outside, you'll find a dinosaur garden with 17 full-size replicas. The field house is located on 235 E. Main Street in Vernal.
To learn more, click here.
The unassuming buildings protecting two dig sites here hid an incredible surprise - the most dense collection of Jurassic-era dinosaur bones in the world! Scientists have already unearthed more than 12,000 bones, and they continue to find more.
To learn more, click here.
8. Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall, Dinosaur National Monument, Near Jensen
This world-class place draws dinosaur enthusiasts and hard-core scientists from around the world. Take a tour on the walkways right next to the walls of the quarry, where you can see around 1,500 dinosaur bones. You can even touch some of them!
To learn more, click here.
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9. St. George Dinosaur Discover Museum, St. George
One of the most recent developments in the Utah paleontology world, in 2000, Dr. Sheldon Johnson found a huge rock covered in dinosaur tracks on his farm. These perfectly-preserved tracks have been called, "one of the 10 best dinosaur track sites in the world." Walk along the boardwalk to get up close to the tracks.
To learn more, click here.
The Moab Giants attraction in Moab is full of fun and entertainment. You'll enjoy the 3D theater, the 5D Prehistoric Aquarium, the Dinosaur Trail, Dinosaur Footprints and huge playground.
To learn more, click here.
What’s your favorite place to visit Utah’s prehistoric giants?
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