Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
Our family visited the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park recently, and saw some really cool things we didn’t expect. There were, of course, the larger-than-life fossils of T-rex towering over us and pterodactyls suspended from the ceiling, seemingly poised to strike. And there were several kiosks with maps and lessons explaining the time line and locations of dinosaurs throughout history. 
But we didn’t expect this stuff: life restorations of prehistoric marine reptiles, massive ancient turtles and sharks......a looking-glass view of “the lab” where experts in paleontology & special effects assemble the dinosaurs right before your eyes, and... petrified dinosaur poop? Oh yes. In 2004, Mike and J.J. Triebold (of Triebold Paleontology Incorporated) founded The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. It ecompasses 20,000 square feet of which 12,000 square feet is for exhibits. The founders dig sites in South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, and Montana. And they create exhibits for countries all over the world. The staff is what made our trip really memorable--friendly, insightful, intelligent folks ready and willing to let you in on the secrets of the center, like where they find all these dinosaur bones, and how they put them all together again. There are also educational videos playing non-stop with CGI animations of how dinosaurs might have lived. Nearby is their mini-movie theater area, complete with old-school movie posters of Godzilla, King Kong, and other massive movie creatures. Documentaries on ancient beasts play on the wide-screen TV. At the end, you leave through the gift shop. Most gift shops sell only touristy knick-knacks like mugs and t-shirts, but this has all sorts of cool stuff. Rocks, fossils, dinosaur toys. I bought a tiny t-rex for a quarter, and he’s currently terrorizing my pencils and paper clips. Give yourself some extra time to peruse the shop. 
The Resource Center is not a big place, so if you don’t bring your curiosity along, your trip through the center will be over quick.But if you take your time, talk with the staff and ask lots of questions, you’ll learn a ton about dinosaurs, and have a good time. Enough to make it a worthwhile destination. Getting There: From I-25, take Hwy 24 west 18 miles to Woodland Park. RMDRC will be on the left at the third light. Look for the palm trees and life-scale dinosaurs out front. For more info:
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For kids, Woody’s Paleo Playground has lots of activities to keep you busy: create-a-dinosaur magnets, dinosaur crayon rubbings, simulated dinosaur digs, and yes, the infamous petrified dinosaur poop.
