The Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology
Visiting the Canadian Badlands of Drumheller, Alberta
Aug 17, 2009
Visiting the museum is an educational adventure, complete with a Cretaceous garden and a hiking trail through the badlands themselves. Located approximately ninety miles northeast of Calgary, offers a unique look at paleontology and the history of Earth.
Fossil Collections from Around the World
From the herbivorous Stegosaurus to the ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex, the Royal Tyrell Museum boasts one of the largest collections of reconstructed dinosaur skeletons. Visitors can also wander through the Cretaceous Gardens and experience the warm, wet environment of the Age of Dinosaurs.
Extinct mammals of the Cenozoic, a Devonian-aged reef and life of the Ice Age all get central billing on the list of exhibits as well. Displays are a mixture of both actual bones and model recreations, depicting the world during those time periods in true life size.
Notably, the museum also contains fossil specimens of the Burgess Shale. One of the oldest known examples of preservation of soft-body tissues in carbon impressions, the Burgess Shale dates 505 million years ago.
Local Fossils from Alberta Canada
Many fossils have been found in the local vicinity of the museum. The museum itself is named for Joseph Burr Tyrell, a young geologist who discovered Canada’s first carnivorous dinosaur, the Albertosaurus, in 1884. This dinosaur skull, and other fossils since that time, was found just a few miles from where the museum now stands.
Today, travelers can see some of these specimens and learn about the local geology and paleontology of Alberta in the Royal Tyrell Museum’s local fossil display.
The Science of Paleontology
As the only museum dedicated to paleontology in Canada, the Royal Tyrell not only displays some of the most interesting fossils found in Alberta and throughout the world, scientists housed at the museum are continuously making new discoveries and learning new information about the geologic past all the time.
Stop in and see a film about how paleontologists understand and recreate life from the past. Take a moment to visit the fossil preparation lab and see scientists at work, making fossil casts and cleaning bones from millions of years ago.
Hiking the Canadian Badlands
For more outgoing guests, the Royal Tyrell maintains a hiking trail through the Badlands. Interpretive signage explains the geological and natural wonders along the walk, describing the flora and fauna one is likely to see.
It is also possible to purchase tickets for a guided walk with one of the museum’s knowledgeable and personable staff members. For prices, times and contact information, go to the Royal Tyrell Museum’s website.
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