Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park
I usually spend time on family outings looking for opportunities to ask questions or teach my girls something.
During a recent trip to Woodland Park, Colorado, we discovered the Dinosaur Resource Center. It’s easy to find right on the main street.
After driving by and seeing the giant life-sized dinosaurs outside and the fossil skeletons through the windows, we had to stop. How could I pass up an opportunity for learning AND fun? And I didn’t need to look for the lessons, they were all over.
Admission to the museum is reasonable – $11.50 for adults, and $7.50 for children ages 5 to 12. Four and under are free. Bonus!
The museum offers guided tours that you can pick up at the entrance or anywhere along the way. With a 4-year-old in tow, we skipped the tour and walked around instead. I did listen in on the tour in a few places, and it sounded very informative.
The building consists of three large rooms with a large gift shop. It’s not very big, so don’t plan on spending more than an hour or two. After you pay admission, you take a picture on a green screen. At the end of your visit, you have the opportunity to purchase the photo complete with a T-Rex attacking your family – a very cool twist on the tourist visitor photo. The day we were there, they offered a special of $5 a photo.
The museum has a wealth of information and fossils. We loved the main large room with all of the displays. There was also a smaller area for younger children with magnets, rubbing plates and a dig site.
We really enjoyed our time at the Dinosaur Resource Center, but I recommend it to families with older children. While it did offer lots to see and touch, it is geared towards elementary school aged children and up. My 4-year-old lost interest pretty fast 
and we went through the entire museum in about an hour.
If you are in Woodland Park I recommend you stop by and check it out.
