Morrison Natural History Museum, Natural history museum in Morrison, Colorado
The Morrison Natural History Museum occupies a two-level building in Morrison, Colorado. The lower level holds exhibits on local paleontology and Jurassic fossils; the upper level covers Cretaceous and Cenozoic fossils. Outside are a rock garden and a fossil dig pit. Displays include Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Tylosaurus skulls, Stegosaurus and Pteranodon skeletal remains, infant dinosaur tracks, and live reptiles and amphibians.
The museum opened in 1989 and has been run by the Town of Morrison since 1995. It is funded by admission fees, gift shop sales, grants and private donations, and it keeps a paleontology lab where fossils are prepared for exhibits and research.
The museum's name comes from the town of Morrison, whose surrounding Jurassic outcrops yielded the fossils on show. Its paleontology lab prepares specimens for exhibits and research, and outside the building a rock garden and fossil dig pit let visitors handle material themselves. Live reptiles and amphibians are kept on display alongside the dinosaur mounts.
The museum is easily accessible from Denver and welcomes visitors daily with regular guided tours to help you understand the collections better. It's helpful to check tour times in advance and allow enough time to explore both floors at a comfortable pace.
The museum preserves tracks left by baby dinosaurs, offering rare glimpses into early dinosaur populations. Visitors can also participate in actual fossil cleaning in the paleontology lab, working with the same tools scientists use.
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