Royal Tyrrell Museum and the Drumheller Badlands
Provincial Museum Of Alberta (Palaeontology) · Drumheller, Alberta
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology sits in the Red Deer River badlands just outside Drumheller, Alberta, about 90 minutes north-east of Calgary. It is one of the world's best dinosaur museums, with a very large collection of fossils and a hall of mounted skeletons that include Tyrannosaurus rex and Albertosaurus. The museum is set into the eroded valley, and the surrounding badlands, hoodoos and Horseshoe Canyon are as much a part of the trip as the galleries. It suits families, school groups, fossil enthusiasts and anyone driving between Calgary and the prairies. Allow half a day for the museum and a second half day for the Hoodoo Trail and canyon. Summer is hot and busy, timed entry may apply, and rain turns badlands clay slippery and some roads impassable. Rattlesnakes live in the valley. Dinosaur Provincial Park is a separate, distant trip, so confirm current tickets, hours and programs before you go.
1500 North Dinosaur Trail, Drumheller, Alberta, T0J 0Y0, Canada
The museum is normally open daily in summer with longer hours, and on a reduced schedule in the rest of the year, sometimes with a weekday closure. Timed entry or advance tickets may apply in busy periods, so confirm hours, ticket rules and any holiday closures on the museum's official page before the drive. Fossil programs, guided badlands hikes and dig experiences are seasonal and booked separately. The Hoodoo Trail, Horseshoe Canyon and the viewpoints are outdoor and open in daylight, but weather can close gravel roads, and winter snow makes the badlands cold and slippery. Arrive at opening for the galleries, then take the canyon or hoodoos in the late afternoon when the light is softer and the heat has eased. Plan to leave the badlands before dark.
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