Scientists estimate that 66 million years ago, a catastrophic event — likely an asteroid hitting the Earth — caused the end of all dinosaurs except for neornithine birds. As the theory goes, dinosaurs died out from the extreme weather change. Having ruled the planet for more than 180 million years, they suddenly vanished.
You wouldn’t know it, though, given the way dinosaurs are still all around us. Sure, they’re not alive and roaming the land and sea the way the “Jurassic Park” series of books and films would have it, but their bones, fossils and recreations are everywhere.
That means that interested travelers have a long list of museums, parks, monuments, digs and kitschy roadside attractions to check out around the world. There are hundreds to explore — here are 16 of the best.
Dinosaur National Monument – Utah, United States
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This National Park Service monument has to be on every dinosaur fan’s bucket list.
Located across the southern border between Colorado and Utah, it preserves a staggering array of dinosaur fossils: over 1,500 of them, to be exact. They’re from the Jurassic Period, making them 150 million years old.
The fossil beds were discovered in 1909 by a paleontologist named Earl Douglass, and the fossil beds were preserved by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Exhibits on how the bones and fossils were preserved are especially interesting.
Those interested in exploring over the course of a few days can book one of several campsites. The monument is also home to several intriguing living animals, including kangaroo rats, prairie dogs and river otters.
The Field Museum of Natural History – Illinois, United States
Chicago’s Field Museum is another wonderful stop for travelers in search of dinosaurs. The fossil skeleton of Sue, the nickname given to the museum’s T. rex, is one of the largest, best preserved and most extensive of its kind ever found.
Even more staggering is the skeleton cast of a Titanosaur (they call it Máximo), one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, measuring 122 feet across and standing 28 feet tall.
The Field Museum has many more displays and exhibits about dinosaurs, offering scientific context as well as historical perspective on the work of paleontologists. You can also check out the fossils of equally impressive beasts lost to time, like the Megatherium, a giant ground sloth.
