Thomas Condon Visitor Center — Attraction in Rest Lawn Cemetery

FANTASTIC!!! This is an awesome museum. The amount of fossils available for viewing is outrageous. Inside is an area where you are able to view the archeologists meticulously working on new fossils and/or dinosaur bones, preparing them and preserving them for the museum. This museum is completely free of charge to everyone, everyday of the year. We chose to leave a donation before we left, in order to help retain the free entry fee for generations to come. It is extremely hot 🔥 here in the summertime. The day that we were here, it was 113° outside. If you plan on walking any of the nearby trails be sure to have plenty of water on hand. I definitely would stop into this museum again and definitely would recommend this place as a must see for anyone coming to or passing...

We really enjoyed our visit here! The rangers gave the kiddos in our group an activity booklet to do, and upon completing at least some of the book, they received wooden badges to pin on their lapels, and they were sworn in as junior rangers. The kids loved it. The center has tons of great exhibits and info.

As for COVID protocols, they had timed entries with limited capacity. 30 minutes didn’t quite feel like enough time but we didn’t want to stay for another round just to look at the exhibits closer. Overall an excellent resource and worth stopping here.

Oh, be sure to take the brief hike up the hill at the south end of the parking lot! Great views from there and there’s a bench at the top. Beware of red/fire ants...

For years I've intended to take US 26 to Portland instead of I 84. But, because it takes an hour or so longer I always put it off. I am so glad I didn't do it this time. The Thomas Condon Visitor Center at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is well worth the extra driving time. Not to mention the fabulous scenery changes while driving US 26. The visitor center had numerous displays and labs where some of the paleontology work is performed. The site is layer upon layer, upon layer of mammal fossils from various geological time periods. Great drive, great site to visit. Well...