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Unearthing the best dinosaur attractions for kids

From North America to Russia, Australia to Europe and the Middle East, we have tracked down the world’s top dinosaur attractions for kids, thanks to the people who know best what kids love, parents. Let your kids discover enormous T-Rex skeletons, dinosaur footprints hidden along the shoreline, life-sized state of the art creations and fossil digging at its best. And the bonus is, no longer will you have to do hours of searching for “dinosaur attractions near me”!

Best Dinosaur Attractions in Canada

Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Alberta

The Royal Tyrrell Museum is the only museum in Canada dedicated exclusively to the science of Palaeontology. It’s also home to one of the largest displays of dinosaurs in the entire world! Visiting is like being transported millions of years into the past. Massive detailed exhibits bring the museums 40 full dinosaur skeletons to life. You can inspect over 100,000 specimens of fossilised remains!

The coolest thing about visiting is the number of hands-on activities there are for kids. There is a huge variety of interactive games throughout the displays inside and visitors can explore outside too! This amazing dinosaur museum offers programs like a real dig experience out in the field. Kids can get their hands in the dirt participating in the archaeological process. Also, there are organised hikes to search for fossils, fossil-casting classes, and various crafts and projects aimed at exciting and educating all ages.
(The feature image above is the Albertosaurus at the Royal Tyrrell)

Unearthed by: Rob and family, Expat Experiment

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Southern Alberta – A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Dinosaur Provincial Park is located deep in the heart of the Alberta Badlands. The arid landscape stretches over 20,000 ruggedly unforgiving acres. Defined by its strange looking rock formations called Hoodoos, the terrain is absolutely surreal. When we visited we felt like we’d arrived on another planet! Aptly named, the park is home to one of the richest caches of dino bones in the world.

The remains of 40 different kinds of dinosaur species have been unearthed in the area! Deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, Dinosaur Provincial Park is truly a prehistoric treasure trove! There is a chance for discovery around every corner. We were amazed by the abundance of fossils and unusual wildlife in the area. Mule and whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, a variety of snakes, and over 160 different species of birds live in the in the park. Coyotes are more often heard than seen and if you’re lucky you’ll spot pronghorn antelope sprinting across the vast prairie.

Families can explore independently or participate in an organised activity like an authentic dinosaur dig! There is a visitor’s centre, restaurant, and campground on site. Various guided tours run throughout the summer months (June to the end of September).

Unearthed by: Rob and family, Expat Experiment

Best Dinosaur Attractions in Australia

Australia’s Dinosaur Trail – Winton, Richmond, and Hughenden, Queensland

dinosaur museum in australia

For the avid dinosaur lover, a road trip into the Queensland outback is a must. Australia’s Dinosaur Trail will take you on a unique self-drive adventure through the towns of Winton, Richmond and Hughenden where you can discover world-class fossils. The small town of Winton houses the world’s biggest collection of Australia’s largest dinosaur fossils, at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum. You’ll also find life-sized bronze dinosaurs at Dinosaur Canyon.

Just over an hour away you can explore the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument at Lark Quarry Conservation Park which is the only place on the planet with known evidence of a dinosaur stampede.

Next, it’s on to Hughenden to visit ‘Hughie’ a Muttaburrasaurus at the Flinders Discovery Centre. You’ll also get to see the Porcupine Gorge Light and Sound Show and the fossil exhibition. Keep an eye out for the dinosaur metal sculptures designed and made by local artists.

It’s hard to believe that you’d find Australia’s premier marine fossil collection 400km from the nearest ocean but Richmond houses this amazing collection that originated from the Great Inland Sea that existed 110 million years ago at Kronosaurus Korner. While you’re there, the kids will love having a go at finding their own fossil at one of the free fossicking sites.

Unearthed by: Nicci and family, Trip Chiefs

Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Bathurst, Victoria

Country Australia has many hidden wonders waiting for the adventurous traveller to uncover. We love to pack the car, fill the tank and head off on road trips to explore a little of this inland marvels.

On our last trip to Bathurst we discovered the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum in Bathurst which boasts the Somerville collection (a huge collection amassed by Professor Warren Somerville AM and donated to the museum) and Australia’s only Tyrannosaurus Rex on display.

Whilst this dinosaur museum is small by international standards, the fossil gallery is certain to amaze your kids and kick-start their curiosity about the origins of dinosaurs. They’ll find dinosaur eggs, amber-encased fossils, opalised fossils and so much more. The kids can try their skill at taking fossil rubbings and stand next to the T-Rex too. They can even hold a dinosaur tooth in the palm of their hand.

Unearthed by: Leah and family, Kid Bucket List

Dinosaur footprints, Gantheaume Point, Broome, Western Australia 

Now this is a dinosaur day out with a difference.

A very special event happens in Broome, but only at very low tide. When the tide drops below 2.16m at the picturesque Gantheaume Point, you can scramble down the cliff front to stand in dinosaur footprints. Estimates vary between 120-130 million years old for these incredible dinosaur prints, yet they’ve stood the test of time against the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean.

If you don’t make it at low tide they have a cast of one of the footprints in the car park but nothing beats standing in the real thing!! 

Unearthed by: Keri and family, Our Globetrotters

Best Dinosaur Attractions in the USA

Moab Giants Dinosaur Park, Moab, Utah

A welcome addition to the dinosaur attraction scene in the USA is Moab Giants, the newest dinosaur park in Utah. Take a walk with around 100 state-of-the-art, life-size dinosaurs that once roamed the area. Surrounded by breathtaking landscape, you’re going to want to take some photos with the dinosaurs as you wander around. If it’s hot, make sure you have water on you.

Once you’ve finished on the dinosaur trail, head inside the 5D prehistoric virtual aquarium to explore the amazing and sometimes terrifying dinosaurs of the deep. The last of the five aquariums can be too frightening for some kids but they will let you out before you get to it.

Make sure you also check out the 3D theatre for a fascinating look at the early creation of the universe, the interactive dinosaur museum, dino playground and the all-important dinosaur cafe.

Unearthed by: Nicci and family, Trip Chiefs

American Museum of Natural History, New York City

If you’re heading to New York City then the American Museum of Natural History is a must visit for any dinosaur loving family. With one of the greatest dinosaur fossil collections in the world, the American Museum of Natural History would have to be the best dinosaur museum in USA in our opinion.

And your little dinosaur lover will be in awe of the 136 specimens on display including this Yutyrannus huali. Welcoming visitors to the museum is the incredible Titanosaur, a massive 122 feet long dinosaur which has called New York City home since 2016.

Unearthed by: Nicci and family, Trip Chiefs

Other amazing dinosaurs experiences in USA

Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado/Utah border

Dinosaur State Park, Connecticut

Dinosphere inside the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indiana

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Los Angeles

Best Dinosaur Attractions in England

Natural History Museum, London

The Natural History Museum in London is a world famous dinosaur museum, housing the first fossil ever found from a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the skull of a Triceratops, and the most complete Stegosaurus skeleton in the world. It’s an incredible place for adults and kids to explore and the bonus is, visiting the dinosaurs is free.

If you can, make sure you get to the Museum early to beat the crowds and leave plenty of time to explore the other incredible displays. This museum is an absolute favourite of ours and worth devoting some time to.

If you want to have an extra special time with the dinosaurs then can you imagine sleeping with them? At the Natural History Museum you can, thanks to the Dino Snores for Kids program. Dino Snores is for kids aged 7 to 11 and their parents/guardians. Although kids outside these ages aren’t able to stay overnight, the adults can go on their own for Dino Snores for Adults nights. Now that would be fun!

Unearthed by: Nicci and family, Trip Chiefs

Jurassic Coast, Dorset to Devon

Getting to hunt for our own fossils along the dramatic coastline of England was a huge highlight for our three children.

The Jurassic Coast is a 95-mile stretch of coast between Dorset and Devon in England. Here it is possible to see 185 million years of our Earths history through the local rock formations. Not that our three really paid much attention to that. Instead, they enjoyed running along the rocks and pebbles looking for their own piece of history to collect.

Here the first full fossil of an Ichthyosaur was discovered, helping to change the way scientists in the 1800’s viewed the natural world.

The best place to find your own fossils is along Charmouth Beach. You can take a guided fossil walk through the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre or like us, try your luck by just exploring.

The best time to look is at low tide and if there has been rough weather before your visit. You can take a rock hammer, chisel and of course safety glasses but we were lucky enough to find a couple of Ammonite fossils just loose on the beach. You can also take your fossils home, as any fossils that are not collected will end up destroyed by the sea.

Unearthed by: Kirsty and family, Travel with Meraki

Best Dinosaur Attractions in Portugal

Pedreira do Galinha (Natural Monument of the Dinosaur Footprints), Ourem

Ourem, Portugal is a 1.5-hour drive north of Lisbon, but a trip to this city takes you back millions of years to the time of the dinosaurs. In Ourem you can find the Natural Monument of the Dinosaur Footprints or Pedreira do Galinha. The site is an excellent off-the-beaten-path choice, especially when visiting Portugal with kids. A paved walking path surrounds the 60,000m2 quarry where hundreds of well-preserved dinosaur footprints lie.

The huge tracks were made by a herd of sauropods 175 million years ago during the middle Jurassic period. At that time, the site was made of carbonated mud, which was easily shaped. Over millennia, the mud was transformed into limestone, thus preserving the footprints. Although the quarry is roped off, there are sections where you can get very close to the footprints. It is not hard to imagine these four-legged giants walking the grounds as trackways are clearly visible, one of which is 147 m long! The quarry is not only famous for its remarkable condition, but it is also considered to be the oldest and longest surviving set of sauropod tracks in the world!

Unearthed by: Kevin and family, Wandering Wagars

Best Dinosaur Attractions in Belgium

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels

The Brussels Natural History Museum is a great way to spend half a day, or even a full day if you want to get into the full dinosaur experience. A quick walk from European Parliament, this dinosaur museum has lots to offer little explorers. From the dinosaur gallery on the main floor, full of skeletons and dinosaur digs, to the Gallery of Human kind where they discuss human evolution, and the Gallery of Evolution which looks at the evolution of animal kind around the world, there is something for everyone.

Of course, the Dinosaur Gallery is the most popular and largest of the galleries. It is easy to spend a few hours carefully exploring each skeleton, examining the placards and becoming an archaeologist in the fossil dig site.

 Unearthed by: Christine and family, Tapped Out Travellers

Best Dinosaur Museum in Switzerland

Sauriermuseum Aathal (Aathal Dinosaur Museum), Zurich

The largest dinosaur museum in Europe, and owned by the archaeologist responsible for the most impressive find to date, the SaurierMuseum in Zurich, Switzerland is every child’s dream come true. While many of the artefacts are behind a rope and meant to be protected, there are replicas throughout the museum that are meant to be touched. That’s right – your child is actually allowed to touch something at the museum! There is also a multi-media room where they showcase dinosaurs in pop-culture as well as various forms of visual and print media – lunch boxes, t-shirts, Saturday morning cartoons – are truly interactive and amazing. Don’t forget to visit the Big Bang Room before heading upstairs.

The Museum states, “the dinosaurs are anywhere from 50 to 95 percent actual bones, and the Allosaurus “Big Al Two”, which is 95 percent complete, is the most complete example of this dinosaur ever found.” As you can see, this museum is extremely important in paleontology.

Unearthed by: Christine and family, Tapped Out Travellers

Best Dinosaur Museum in Russia

Orlov Palaeontology Museum, Moscow

Russia is big. Russia is in fact very, very big. And a lot of this size is uninhabited frozen wilderness, tundra, and forests. So it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that Siberia, in particular, has been a rich source of prehistoric finds over the years. Or that a number of these fossilised skeletons, stone footprints, painted rocks or defrosted mammoth mummies have made their way to the capital, Moscow, where there is a huge collection of dinosaur bones in the Orlov Palaeontology Museum.

On display is an extremely impressive number of full-sized skeletons. Everything from giant sloths and large flightless birds, through fishy reptiles and shellfish impressions, to crowd-pleasing triceratops, brontosauruses and the sort of terrible lizards who would rip you apart as soon as they look at you. But the museum is also notable for its artwork. There are all sorts of murals, sculptures and dinosaur-themed wrought iron door and window fittings to discover too. And that’s before you get to the cave paintings.

It’s an extensive collection, and the fact that there is very little English language support is really not a problem given that dinosaurs don’t really need much embellishment to wow. Well worth a visit if you are ever in Moscow.

Unearthed by: Sol and family, Kidding Herself

Best Dinosaur Experience in Czech Republic

DinoPark Praha, Prague

You can find Dinopark Prague in quite an unusual location… on top of the Gallery Harfa Shopping Centre. It’s part of a chain of dinosaur theme parks in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, and Russia. The shopping mall is easy to reach by public transport and there’s a large car park. You can get there by metro, bus or tram. When you get to the roof of the shopping mall, there’s a nice food court and a small playground with awesome iron musical play structures. You can already see the huge dinosaur statues behind the park walls.

Our toddler was mesmerized by the life-sized dinosaurs, most of them animated and making sounds. There’s also a paleontological playground, where kids can uncover a dinosaur skeleton and some dino themed play equipment. Since we were there in 2016, they’ve added a unique 4D cinema, which is included in the park’s entrance fee. Dinopark Prague is not a very large park, but with an entrance fee of only $6.5 USD it’s definitely worth 1-2 hours of amusement for your kids.

Unearthed by: Lisa and family, Flip Flop Globetrotters

Best Dinosaur Attraction in UAE

Dubai Garden Glow, Dubai

Dinosaurs in Dubai? Ok not quite real but for our little ones, this is about as good as it gets! Made real to life size and controlled by animatics, including real-life roars!! The dinosaur park is part of the Dubai Garden Glow in Zabeel Park. It opens in the evenings only from 4 pm over the cooler summer months. As the sun goes down the dinosaurs come to life! All the kids’ favourites are there and dinosaur eggs to sit in.

Unearthed by: Keri and family, Dubai Travel Planner

I hope you’ve found some new dinosaur attractions to take the kids to. Do you have a favourite dinosaur exhibit? Share it over in our Facebook group

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure statement