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| Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology |
If you are a dinosaur fanatic then don’t miss the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology when you visit Calgary. Unknown to most people, Alberta used to be Jurassic land but that was millions of years ago.
The discovery of fossilized dinosaur remains shows proof that these giant reptiles are indeed real. The Museum boasts of a complete collection of dinosaur skeletons.
Time your visit to the museum after May of 2007 because the staff is rearranging and improving the museum displays and it can be quit cluttered and some pieces inaccessible. However you will still be able to watch majority of the museum displays.
The dinosaur museum may be located in Drumheller which is more than an hour ride from Calgary but it is worth the time. The whole town is in itself a showcase of information about dinosaurs with various dinosaur replicas in every corner. If you want to experience how it is to stand side by side a humongous animal then do visit the town center and have your photo taken beside a Tyrannosaurus Rex replica, all 86-foot of it! You will also enjoy the various businesses with dinosaur names and of course the various shops selling what else but dinosaur souvenirs.
The Tyrell Museum was named as such in honor of Joseph Burr Tyrell, the man who found the first fossils of the great dinosaurs that roamed the Drumheller Valley eons ago. Tyrell’s discovery of the dinosaur fossil was however accidental as he was mapping out mineral and coal deposits in the area when he found a large dinosaur fossil now known as Albertosaurus.
The dinosaur museum gets at least 375 thousand visitors from all over the world every year. Canadians make up 86 percent of these visitors while 6 percent are Europeans, 5 percent Americans, 2 percent Asians and the rest a mixture of visitors from different places around the globe.
If you are really interested to explore the Tyrell Museum then you would need at least two hours for a quick tour. If you do get tired of walking you can always get a snack from a nearby cafeteria. But if you are in a hurry and would like to maximize your visit to the museum then avail of the Audio Guide which will not only point out the highlights of the exhibit but will also amuse you with dinosaur trivia.
The Museum is a very good destination for students and children who may want to see real dinosaur fossils. Over 75 percent of dinosaur fossils being displayed in the museum are real and original while the rest are merely replicas.
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