Activity Overview
Located just 25 minutes from downtown Denver it is the perfect place to experience Jefferson County's original paleontology museum. Visitors can explore Colorado's dinosaurs with expert guides and hands-on exhibits; see historic and modern fossil finds and see research in progress at the Paleo Lab.
Things to See & Do
There are a variety of exhibits to explore including these highlights:
- Time Garden- investigate Morrison's geologic setting.
- Quarry 5 Garden- observe "onsite fieldwork" as preparators probe sandstone boulders for fossils.
- Jurassic Garden- immerse yourself in a patch of Jurassic flora.
- Fossil Dig Pit- children dig for small, local fossils.
- "Cretaceous Colorado" room demonstrates the scope of life and landscapes in Morrison during the Cretaceous. Encounter the skulls of Triceratops, Tylosaurus, the skeleton of Pteranodon and much more.
- "Ice Age" room features live reptiles and amphibians alongside mammoth and sabre-toothed cat fossils. Live native snake encounter are a part of our daily tours.
- Long after the heyday of the dinosaurs ended, Mammoths called Colorado home. But the majestic Mammoths didn't live alone. "Ice Age Survivors" introduces the animals of the Pleistocene and explores reasons why some died off while others survived.
- Geology Garden - What can rocks tell us about long-lost dinosaur habitats? Explore the Museum's Geology Garden to understand the ancient history and geologic setting of the Denver area. Highlights: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic "Study Boulders", Jurassic Trace Fossils and "Fossil Habitats".
Morrison Natural History Museum Insider Tips
- There are three guided tours a day and last 60 minutes. The tours leave at 10:15a, 12:15p and 2:15p daily. It is recommended you take a tour to get the most out of your experience.
- The average visit with the guided tour last approximately two hours
