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My eight-year-old son is obsessed with dinosaurs. I mean, really obsessed. He knows the names of almost every dinosaur, he watches all the dinosaur movies and TV shows he can, and reads anything he can find about these prehistoric animals. I sometimes wonder if his love for dinosaurs began with one of the first books we read to him when he was a baby, Dinosaur Dance by Sandra Boynton. Now, he devours a whole collection of dinosaur books. If you have or know a dino-lover too, here are his favorites:
–Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life (at the time of this publication, this book is 65% off)
–Knowledge Encyclopedia Dinosaurs!
–Incredible But True Dinosaurs (this is his all-time favorite)
My son also loves dinosaur trivia. We stumbled upon a quiz online, and he scored 18 out of 20! I managed around a dozen and only because I’ve spent so much time watching and reading all things dinosaur with him. We often play this Dinosaur Guess in 10 trivia game before bed.
His passion for dinosaurs runs so deep that he says he wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. He enjoys visiting the La Brea Tar Pits, so he can watch the paleontologists through the glass windows, working in the Fossil Lab and imagining himself there one day.
Today, he asked me, “Is there a place where you can dig up real dinosaurs?” I told him I believed there were such places. Curious, I asked ChatGPT, and sure enough, there are multiple locations around the world but most are right here in North America where you can see or even participate in digging up real dinosaur fossils.
While it’s not quite like the movies, there are actual “dinosaur digs” where you can take part in paleontological excavations. Here are a few notable locations:
Dinosaur National Monument (Colorado and Utah, USA)
Dinosaur National Monument, which runs through Colorado and Utah, is known for its rich fossil beds. Some sites here still have fossils exposed, and visitors can participate in guided digs during certain seasons.
The Badlands (South Dakota, USA)
The Black Hills of South Dakota’s Badlands have some of the richest dinosaur fossil sites in North America. The area around the famous Dinosaur Park is a great place for fossil hunting, though many sites are protected and excavation is done by professionals.
Royal Tyrrell Museum (Alberta, Canada)
The Royal Tyrrell Museum is located in the heart of Canada’s ‘Dinosaur Country.’ While most digs are carried out by professionals, there are some opportunities for the public to get involved during certain educational programs.
Dinosaur Valley State Park (Texas, USA)
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Texas has real dinosaur footprints preserved in the rock, and while it’s more about seeing these tracks rather than digging up fossils, the area is historically rich in fossils.
Fossil Hunting in Wyoming (USA)
Wyoming is home to some amazing sites for fossil hunting, like the Laramie Formation and the Bighorn Basin. While digging is restricted, guided tours allow you to find and collect fossils in some areas. Here’s more information about digging for fossils in Wyoming.
If you’re interested in getting involved, many of these sites offer educational programs or collaborations with paleontologists, allowing you to get hands-on experience in a supervised environment. Just be aware that digging for fossils is usually regulated to protect the sites.
So if, like me, you have a child who is really into dinosaurs or if you are yourself, then you might want to make a trip to do a dinosaur dig. We are definitely going to!
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Hi Johnny – I’m surprised you didn’t mention your home state of Connecticut!
I recently took my 4-year old grandson who is also a dinosaur aficionado to the Dinosaur
State Park in Rocky Hill. It features a paleontological museum and over 750
early Jurassic dinosaur footprints.
Thanks for letting me know! I had no idea there was a place in CT — will look into it now.
This is not actively digging for dinosaurs, but one of the world’s longest dinosaur trackways is at Picketwire National Grasslands near La Junta, Colorado. Every Saturday in May, rangers lead an eight hour, eighty mile trip to amazing dinosaur tracks. You must have reservations. They show models of dinosaurs and you can even see where their tails were dragging! You must have a four wheel vehicle to go on the trip, but driving is easy. We rented a Jeep from La Junta KOA. You go through open range and land, past an old ranch, see hieroglyphics, and then get to the river ( easy crossing). Some parents took picture of their kids sitting in the dinosaur prints. The ranger was amazing. I would do this again in a heartbeat!
At one time the state of Nebraska was covered with an inland see. It is full of fossils of ancient animals and actual work sites where palentologists are actively digging. You can see fossils at Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historic Park, where some of the fossils are of ancient rhinos and tiny horses, and they are presently digging; you can ask questions of the working paleontologists. You can also see fossils at Agate Fossil Beds National Monument where there are mammal fossils of the Miocene age, and there are many other sites throughout the state with museums holding other mammals, such as mastodons.
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose Texas is a wonderful place to visit, just not in summer. Although if the river dries up more dinosaur tracks are visible. Dinosaur statues are in place all over town. Fossil Rim Wildlife Park nearby is a drive through park where you can feed the animals. Granbury is also a great lakeside town to visit.
Johnny,
The 30th Mariposa Gem & Mineral Show is April 12/13. Fly to Fresno with your son and rent a car to drive the 90 minutes to Mariposa. There should be a perfect adult sized T. Rex tooth for sale at $550 plus tax (credit cards accepted) at the Show. It should sell, so try to attend the Show on Saturday. I almost bought it at the Clovis Gem & Mineral Show this past Sunday but instead opted to buy a smaller juvenile T. Rex tooth for less. For sure your son will be a famous paleontologist if you buy him this lifelong keeper of a gift. Alternatively you can look for gem and mineral shows in the LA area and maybe, with some luck, find a T. Rex tooth for sale.
Good to know! My son would go nuts even to just hold the tooth