Royal Tyrrell Museum – A Real Time Family Adventure Digging for Dinos. If your family or a family member love fossils and old bones specifically dinosaur bones, we have great news. Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park and renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum have created a couple of ways for families to share the wonders of the prehistoric. 

For families with a penchant for mystery, rocks, fossils, and old bones the Royal Tyrrell Museum is heaven on earth.  Situated in the Canadian badlands, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is a major research and exhibition centre and one of the largest paleontology museums in the world. Internationally recognized, the Museum is a popular destination for visitors of all ages, showcasing the largest display of complete dinosaur skeletons.

Dinosaurs, remains of flying reptiles and prehistoric mammals, marine invertebrates and sail-backed amphibians help create a comprehensive picture of the ancient world. An indoor garden houses more than 600 species of plants, many of which flourished in sub-tropical Alberta during the time of the dinosaurs. The Burgess Shale exhibit provides visitors with a 3-D look at some of the most unusual creatures to swim in prehistoric waters.

Computers, fibre optics and audio-visual presentations help bring the ancient world up to date. A window into the main preparation lab enables visitors to watch, as dinosaur specimens are prepared. Bonus points: The museum staff provides plenty of ways to engage young visitors in learning while doing.  Visitors may cast their own fossil replica in the learning lab or join a guide on a field excursion. Need to know: The website offers preplanned visit itineraries created specifically for families. 

Here’s the deal. Alberta's Dinosaur Provincial Park and renowned Royal Tyrrell Museum are offering travellers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an Albertan dinosaur dig this summer. Visitors can search for never-before-seen fossils and artifacts with a single or two-day package, and guided by a trained paleontologist technician. 
 
Visitors to Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to a vast array of fossil fields, will learn various techniques for fossil excavation and work in teams to uncover many discoveries never seen before by human eyes. This rare, unique opportunity is perfect for paleontology enthusiasts or for anyone wanting to experience an authentic dinosaur dig. Meals and accommodations are provided. Dinosaur Provincial Park is located approximately 140 miles southeast (a three hour drive) from Calgary.  Bonus points: Findings obtained from the digs travellers take part in will contribute to an ongoing research study conducted by the Royal Tyrrell Museum. 

 
For families with dinosaur love in their hearts and younger children as companions the park offers a series of engaging age-appropriate activities including Dinosaur Park’s ‘paleo family tree’ lab experience, 'Broadway comes to the Badlands' live theatre at Deadlodge Canyon Amphitheatre, Centrosaurus Bone Bed Hike, and Fossil Safari Hike. Bonus points: Make camping part of the adventure. Dinosaur Provincial Park boasts a 126-site campground, including 59 powered sites. Need to know: Off peak season and winter camping is available with year-round power; however water is not available late September to late April.

About Dinosaur Provincial Park-World Heritage Site. Dinosaur Provincial Park has some of the most extensive dinosaur fossil fields in the world. In addition the area’s badlands and cottonwood river habitat are significant features that resulted in the park's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Strange land formations rise up on all sides; sculpted by wind and water into hauntingly beautiful shapes sunbathed in terra cotta, bronze and amber. Location on the planet: Dinosaur Provincial Park Patricia, Alberta Canada T0J 2K0. (403) 378-4344, 378-4342 or www.dinosaurpark.ca
  
About The Royal Tyrrell Museum.  The Royal Tyrrell is Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the science of paleontology. In addition to housing one of the world’s largest displays of dinosaurs, the Museum offers a wide variety of creative, fun, and educational programs that bring the prehistoric past to life. With lithe raptors perched atop pedestals and dramatic death poses elegantly encompassed by gilded frames, the Museum tells its stories. This is the home of J.B. Tyrrell's initial Albertosaurus, and the rare blackened T. rex skull nicknamed "Black Beauty". Location on the planet: Royal Tyrrell Museum 1500 North Dinosaur Trail (GPS). Toll-free in North America (outside Alberta) 1-888-440-4240, toll-free in Alberta, 310-0000 then (403) 823-7707, outside North America, (403) 823-7707 or www.tyrrellmuseum.com