Wyoming Dinosaur Center

Inside, the center displays mounted skeletons of dinosaurs large and small, from long-necked plant eaters that towered over the ancient landscape to fierce predators. Many are casts, but the collection also holds real fossils and preparation areas where staff work to free bones from the surrounding rock.

The exhibits trace the age of dinosaurs and the changing environments of ancient Wyoming, when this dry high country lay under warm seas, swamps, and floodplains. Standing beneath the great skeletons gives a real sense of the scale of the creatures that once walked here.

What sets the center apart is that the dig sites are right on the property, in the hills a short ride away. These are working quarries where paleontologists and volunteers continue to excavate dinosaur bones from the rock, and new discoveries keep coming.

Visitors can tour the active sites and see fossils in the ground, exactly where they have lain for tens of millions of years. It is a rare window into how paleontology actually works, connecting the polished skeletons in the hall to the dusty, patient labor of the dig.

The center is known for its dig-for-a-day and similar programs, which let visitors join a working quarry and help uncover real fossils under the guidance of the staff. It is a hands-on experience that turns museum-goers into participants for a day.

For families and budding scientists, the chance to brush away rock and reveal a bone that has waited millions of years is unforgettable. These programs usually run in the warmer months and often need booking ahead, so it is worth planning if a dig is on your list.

Thermopolis is best known for Hot Springs State Park and its steaming mineral terraces, so a visit here can pair prehistoric giants with a soak in the healing waters across town. The two make a full and varied day.

The Bighorn Basin all around is a landscape of colorful badlands and rock layers that continue to yield fossils, from dinosaurs to the fish of ancient lakes. The dinosaur center is the anchor for that deep-time story, open year-round and rewarding for anyone curious about the ancient life beneath Wyoming.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Wyoming Dinosaur Center, in the town of Thermopolis in north-central Wyoming, is a major dinosaur museum and active fossil-dig site, housing an impressive collection of dinosaur skeletons, fossils, and exhibits spanning the history of prehistoric life. Visitors can walk among towering mounted skeletons, view real fossils and a working preparation lab, and even join guided tours to nearby active dig sites where dinosaur bones are still being unearthed. With one of the region's finest fossil collections and hands-on dig experiences, the center is a highlight for dinosaur lovers of all ages. The Wyoming Dinosaur Center offers a fascinating and educational destination in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

You can see towering mounted dinosaur skeletons, a large collection of real fossils, exhibits on prehistoric life and the history of the earth, and a working fossil preparation lab where you can watch specimens being cleaned, and the center offers guided tours to active dig sites nearby where dinosaur bones are still being excavated. Some programs let visitors take part in a real dig for a hands-on experience. The combination of world-class displays and active paleontology is special. With its skeletons, fossils, prep lab, and dig-site tours, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center offers an engaging experience for all ages in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

Yes, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center offers dig-site programs and guided tours to nearby active excavation sites where dinosaur fossils are still being unearthed, and some hands-on experiences let visitors take part in a real dig alongside the staff, making it a memorable, immersive way to experience paleontology. These programs are especially popular with families and dinosaur enthusiasts. Because the offerings and schedules vary, checking current programs and reservations before you go is wise. The chance to dig for real fossils is one of the standout experiences at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

The museum is enjoyable indoors year-round in any weather, while the outdoor dig-site tours and hands-on dig programs are best in the warmer months, roughly late spring through early fall, when weather allows comfortable time in the field, so summer is ideal for the full experience. Checking current days, hours, and dig-program schedules before you go is wise. Pairing a visit with nearby Hot Springs State Park makes a great day in Thermopolis. For the indoor museum any time, and the outdoor digs, aim for the warmer months at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

The Wyoming Dinosaur Center is in the town of Thermopolis in north-central Wyoming, right near Hot Springs State Park with its mineral springs, the scenic Wind River Canyon and Boysen State Park to the south, the Legend Rock petroglyph site to the northwest, and within reach of the Bighorn Basin. That makes the Wyoming Dinosaur Center a fascinating stop to combine with Hot Springs State Park, Wind River Canyon, and the other attractions of north-central Wyoming on a visit to the state.