A Visit To The Royal Tyrell – Alberta’s Dinosaur Museum

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Drumheller is a small town in the badlands of Alberta. It’s an area known for some cool geological formations like hoodoos, a history of mining, surprisingly being close to some good live theatre, and dinosaurs fossils.

Being that dinosaur fossils are found in the Alberta badlands (and in other areas of the province) it’s no surprise that there’s a great paleontology museum in Drumheller (and lots of dinosaur memorabilia in the town). The Royal Tyrrell Museum is considered the leading paleontology museum in Canada, but also one of the best in the world. Every time I visit Drumheller (5 times now) I make a point to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

The museum is setup to go through different different geological eras (you know Jurassic, Paleozoic and all that). There’s a section featuring fossils found in Alberta, but the museum does have fossils from around the world. Aside from fossils there are also fossil casts, sculptures of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, plus lots of information plaques and videos. You can even see paleontologists at work in the Preparation Lab. Here are some photos my most recent visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Drumheller, Alberta: An entrance to one of the exhibits listing different different eras at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — An entrance to one of the exhibits listing different different eras at the Royal Tyrell Museum. I personally like the Cambrian Era. The area where Alberta is now was covered in water, so there were some crazy looking sea creatures.

Drumheller, Alberta: A triceratops skull at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — This is an authentic Triceratops skull that was once displayed prominently in downtown Drumheller. A few years ago, it was relocated to the museum for better preservation. While many of the exhibits in the museum are casts of fossils (due to the fragility of real fossils), this particular skull is real (but also in a glass case for protection).

Drumheller, Alberta: Borealopelta is an armoured herbivore dinosaur at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — This is Borealopelta markmitchelli, an extraordinary armoured herbivorous dinosaur and the best-preserved specimen of its kind in the world. This was discovered near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. It dates back 112 million years, making it the oldest fossil in the province.

Drumheller, Alberta: A sign detailing what to do if you find a fossil. Leave it where it is - unless it is on the ground surface. Take a picture - use something for scale. Locate it on a map - use GPS if possible. Contact us - tyrell.info@gov.ab.ca - Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — A sign on what to do if you discover a fossil. Fossils can be found throughout Alberta, including my hometown, where a hadrosaur fossil was unearthed during playground construction—leading to a delightful dinosaur-themed play area! Alberta enforces strict laws regarding fossil preservation; removing a fossil illegally can result in fines of up to $50,000 and a year in jail.

Drumheller, Alberta: Inside the preparation lab at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — The preparation lab at the Royal Tyrell Museum. The lab is not open to the public, but large windows let you take a peak into some of the work to see is skilled technicians remove the rock around found fossils.

Drumheller, Alberta: The Cretaceous Garden inside the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — The Cretaceous Garden inside the Royal Tyrell Museum has a varied of plants and greenery that are related to plants of the region in the Cretaceous era.

Drumheller, Alberta: This a Dimetrodon that lived during the Permian period at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — This isn’t a dinosaur but a prehistoric reptile called a Dimetrodon that lived during the Permian period.

Drumheller, Alberta: Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) at the Royal, Tyrell Museum. Image from TakeMeToTheWorld.com — A display of gigantic Woolly Mammoth being attacked by a saber tooth tiger at the Royal Tyrell Museum. Technically these aren’t dinosaurs either. Woolly Mammoths are mammals in the mammoth species. Saber tooth tigers are mammals in the smilodon species.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is a must-visit if you find yourself in Drumheller or the surrounding Badlands area. Set aside a few hours to fully explore its fascinating exhibits. Be mindful that it can get crowded on weekends, during summer holidays, and with school field trips. Despite the crowds, the museum offers an incredible opportunity to glimpse life in prehistoric times.

Things To Know
The Royal Tyrell Museum is located 6km northwest of Drumheller in Midland Provincial Park. Map here. From September 1 to May 14 the museum is open from 9am to 5pm most days (closed Mondays). In the summer from May 15 to August 31 they’re open 9am to 9pm every day day. Admission is $21 for an adults, $14 for seniors, $10 for youth (7 to 17) and kids 6 and under are free.

While in Drumheller my friends and I stayed the SureStay Plus by Best Western. This was a great hotel that had the bonus of a room with three single beds, which was great for my two friends and I. They also had a good complimentary breakfast. There are plenty of accommodation options in Drumheller and the surrounding area that you can book here.

Have you been to Drumheller?

A Visit To The Royal Tyrell – Alberta’s Dinosaur Museum

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