Drumheller’s dinosaurs never go out of style
06/04/08
BY ERIN FAWCETT
Red Deer Express
The Royal Tyrrell Museum has something to offer all ages this summer.
Located in the heart of the Alberta badlands, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is six kms northwest of Drumheller.
“This is a world renowned museum right at our back door,” said Leanna Mohan, marketing coordinator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. “It takes under two hours to get to the museum from Red Deer. It makes a great day trip and there is so much to see and do.”
New to the museum this year is the Triassic Giant gallery.
It opens on June 27.
The Triassic Giant is the largest known marine reptile.
“This is a wonderful gallery and it’s something that’s worth checking out,” said Mohan.
Other galleries and exhibits include the Nexen Science Hall which demonstrates basic scientific concepts, the Preparation Lab where visitors can watch museum staff prepare fossils for research and display, the Lords of the Land where visitors can meet the smallest and tallest meat-eating dinosaurs and Burgess Shale which exhibits larger than life creatures living in a prehistoric sea bed.
Other exhibits include the Devonian Reef where a giant recreation of underwater life from 350 million years ago is displayed,
the Cretaceous Garden which displays a garden containing the live plants dinosaurs ate, Dinosaur Hall which features almost 40 mounted skeletons of dinosaurs, Age of the Mammals where visitors can follow the evolution of mammals as they became more recognizable and Ice Age which allows visitors to travel back to a colder time.
“Four of these galleries just opened last year,” said Mohan.
Visitors can also take part in a wide variety of programs offered at the museum.
There are programs for children, youth, adults, seniors and families that are available.
These programs include Junior Dinosaur Explorers, Fossil Casting, Excavate It, Seven Wonders of the Badlands and Dinosaurs in the Movies, among others.
These programs are an additional cost to admission fees.
Visitors wishing to participate in these programs need to register beforehand.
They can do so on the museum’s Web site.
The museum also offers free programs to its visitors which is included in the cost of admission.
These programs include the Shell Discovery Centre, a prehistoric themed space for young children, Behind the Scenes where visitors will learn what happens to all the fossils collected at the museum, Passion for the Past where guests can get to know the palaeontological experts at the museum and the Badlands Self Guided Walking Tour.
In addition to the galleries, exhibits and programs the museum offers, visitors can also check out the gift shop and stop at the cafeteria for a bite to eat or to have a cold drink.
Last year, more than 400,000 people came through the doors at the museum.
“We have so many people coming through here, it’s really quite an attraction,” said Mohan.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Sept. 1.
“A tip for people coming through is to wait until later in the day,” said Mohan. “The crowds seem to die down a little.”
Admission is $10 for adults aged 18 to 64; $8 for seniors over the age of 65, $6 for youth aged seven to 17 with children under the age of six free. A family pass is also available for $30 which includes two adults and their children aged seven to 17.
Two day passes and memberships are also available to purchase.
For more information about the Royal Tyrrell Museum call toll free at 310-0000 then dial 403-823-7707 or visit www.tyrrellmuseum.com.
efawcett@reddeer.greatwest.ca 309-5457
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