Wyoming Dinosaur Center — Attraction in East Thermopolis

I found this gem planning a trip to Yellowstone on Trip Advisor, so glad we found it! I have a child who is crazy about dinosaurs and a beginning rock hound. After Yellowstone, visiting the Wyoming Dinosaur Center was a primary focus of our trip. We went out on a morning dino dig and we each found a dino bone! It was pretty awesome! The guides that took us out to the site were student interns who really knew their "stuff". They were friendly, knowledgeable, and offered great instruction, also very helpful w my younger child who became discouraged when he didn't find a bone right away. We also did the paleo prep lab visit in the afternoon. I have to say we all loved that as well! There were 2 different interns helping us in the lab, but I would say the exact same thing about the lab interns that I did about the dig interns - friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, gave very good instruction, and (again) helped my younger kid to find something he DID like doing when he became bored. Yes, the two tours are separate purchases and for our family, it did add up, but really the tours are the biggest reason we visited this location and they DID NOT dissapoint! I made reservations for the tours a few weeks in advance. Somehow when we arrived, either I messed up the day or they did - but we were still accommodated graciously and expeditiously. I was so grateful. The museum: for what it is, this museum is pretty great. Their collection is very impressive - the only archyopterix specimen on display in North America? Hello - that is awesome! I would say taking a guided tour would be well worth it. The museum is pretty small and many of the displays are kind of typical roadside museum displays, maybe not the latest and greatest of the most modern places - but if you know enough to look past the display and appreciate the content, you will be impressed. If you are a paleo and/or geology beginner, a guided tour would really facilitate your understanding of what you are seeing. I would suggest the owner(s) add some type of automated audio guide, either thru an app or a separate device. It would really add to the experience. Absolute highlight! Thank...

Absolutely incredible experience at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center!

From the moment we walked in, we knew this was going to be something special. Our tour guide Jaida was absolutely phenomenal - her passion for paleontology was contagious and her knowledge seemed endless. She made the dig sites come alive with fascinating stories about these ancient creatures that once roamed this very ground.

Standing next to actual dinosaur bones that have been sleeping in the earth for millions of years gave me chills. There's something almost magical about being in Thermopolis and realizing you're walking where giants once walked. The active dig sites were mind-blowing - you can literally watch history being uncovered before your eyes!

The educational value here is off the charts. Our kids (and let's be honest, us adults too) were captivated the entire time. Jaida answered every single question with enthusiasm and made complex geological concepts easy to understand.

The museum displays are world-class. Every exhibit tells a story, and you can spend hours just marveling at the incredible specimens they have on display. The layout flows perfectly and you never feel rushed.

This isn't just a tourist attraction - it's a genuine scientific institution that happens to be incredibly fun and accessible. We're already planning our return trip because one visit simply isn't enough to take it all in.

If you're anywhere near Thermopolis, this is an absolute must-visit. 5 stars doesn't feel...

The quality of exhibits is outstanding. Each display tells a story. This isn’t a museum just telling you the name of a dinosaur and where it lived. They tell stories about how species lived and interacted with the ecosystems. I learned a lot as did my kids. If I was just rating the quality of the museum it would be 4.5. It needs a few more hands-on kid centered activities to be a 5. The quarry is a separate tour and charge. We didn’t realize that until they announced the tour departing. By then it was sold out. So we missed out on that. Which leads me to the quality of staff greeting visitors as they enter. They two we encountered seemed detached and uninterested or poorly trained. We were not greeted, the ticket options were not clearly explained. I tried asking questions and it was like pulling teeth to get answers. And later when we tried to buy a pretzel the response was, “we have no idea if they are good.” I don’t even Know what that meant. If I judged the facility on the quality of staff I encountered I would give it a 1. Don’t let staff with bad attitude distract from the overall quality of the museum. Also, billboards advertise “kids dig” but it isn’t like you can just walk up and sign your kids up to dig. These are booked in advance, periodic events that cost a fair amount. I was pretty...