Dinosaurs
In the southeastern quadrant of Alberta is a swath of lunar-like landscape known as the Canadian Badlands. This ancient seabed is home to some of the world's richest deposits of prehistoric fossils and dinosaur finds. Take a fascinating journey millions of years back in time.Dinosaurs Discovered
Some 75 million years ago, Alberta was a lush habitat for dinosaurs. In 1884, geologist and explorer Joseph Tyrrell noticed an unusual rock formation near Drumheller. Further investigation led to the discovery of the skeletal remains of a very large dinosaur, which the world came to know as Albertosaurus. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller
History that stretches back to the Cretaceous Period—which encompasses the “age of the dinosaurs”—is best explored at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology in Drumheller. Home to 110 million fossil specimens, the most impressive exhibit is the gigantic dinosaur hall with nearly 40 mounted dinosaur skeletons. Tyrannosaurus rex dominates the display, awing children and adults alike. Also popular with visitors are the Devonian Reef and the Cretaceous Garden. Join a guided hike to a nearby excavation site or into the coulees and canyons of the badlands. The museum has many programs for children, including day and overnight camps.
Dinosaur Provincial Park
About two hours east of Calgary, visit Dinosaur Provincial Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site offers bus tours and guided interpretive hikes through badlands, bone fields and fossil beds. The Royal Tyrrell Museum operates a field station at the park, where paleontologists continue the work of unearthing plant and animal fossils from this ancient sea bed.Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur Museum
Forty minutes southeast of Lethbridge, Devil’s Coulee Dinosaur Heritage Museum houses fossilized fragments of dinosaur embryos and eggshells. First detected in 1987 by amateur archaeologist Wendy Sloboda, the young schoolgirl’s discovery led to a remarkable find: an extensive nesting site of Hadrosaur (duckbill) dinosaurs.
Calgary Zoo
In their enormously popular Prehistoric Park, the Calgary Zoo has painstakingly recreated Alberta’s Cretaceous period. Complete with life-size dinosaur models skulking among indigenous plant life, it provides an adventure we have all imagined since childhood.
