Morrison Natural History Museum

Top choice in Colorado

LoginSave

This small but excellent museum has displays on Morrison during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. There are huge dinosaur skulls as well as a full skeleton of a pteranodon, the flying reptile made popular on the kids' TV show Dinosaur Train. Deeply knowledgeable guides give daily one-hour tours (10:15am, 12:15pm and 2:15pm), though visitors are welcome to check out the exhibits on their own.

You can also observe – and sometimes help – staff members clean fossils in the Paleontology Lab. Outdoors, small children will enjoy a sandpit filled with fossils to 'find.'

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Denver's Red Rocks venue in the foreground, exploits the full moon as the main event.

    Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

    1.29 MILES

    When the setting sun brings out a rich, orange glow from the rock formations and the band on stage launches into just the right tune, Red Rocks…

  • Denver, CO, USA - January 12th, 2016: A night time photo taken of Union Station and the Crawford Hotel in downtown Denver Colorado at the corner of 17th Street and Wynkoop Street.

    Union Station

    12.58 MILES

    Gorgeously restored, historic Union Station is Denver's main transportation hub, used by RTD light-rail lines, commuter buses and Amtrak. But it's way…

  • Hispanic family biking in Confluence Park near downtown Denver, Colorado, USA

    Confluence Park

    12.25 MILES

    Where Cherry Creek and South Platte River meet is the nexus and plexus of Denver's sunshine-loving culture. Thousands of outdoorsy Denverites flock here…

  • Denver Art Museum, Civic Center Cultural Complex, Denver, Colorado, United States of America, North America

    Denver Art Museum

    12.51 MILES

    The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is home to one of the largest Native American art collections in the USA, and puts on special multimedia exhibits that vary…

  • The new Clyfford Still Museum is set to open November 18, 2011. The entry of the museum on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post (Photo By Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

    Clyfford Still Museum

    12.43 MILES

    Dedicated exclusively to the work and legacy of 20th-century American abstract expressionist Clyfford Still, this fascinating museum's collection includes…

  • Green Mountain and the Flatirons as seen from Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado.

    Chautauqua Park

    24.59 MILES

    This historic landmark park is the gateway to Boulder’s most magnificent slab of open space adjoining the iconic Flatirons; its wide, lush lawn attracts…

  • DENVER, CO - June 23: Joy Park is separated into many areas that include sand, water and even a fort building area Tuesday, June 23, 2015 at the Denver Children's Museum in Denver, Colorado. The one acre park opened behind the museum which includes a sand area, zip line and water play area for children and parents alike. (Photo By Brent Lewis/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

    Children’s Museum Denver Marisco Campus

    11.66 MILES

    This is one of the hottest tickets in town…well, at least for kids. Highlights include an enclosed three-story climbing structure (helmets provided), a…

  • Colorado School of Mines' Geology Museum

    Colorado School of Mines' Geology Museum

    7.29 MILES

    With a collection of 50,000 minerals, fossils and gemstones, the School of Mines' Geology Museum is worth a stop, even if rocks aren't really your thing…

View more attractions

Nearby Colorado attractions

1. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

1.29 MILES

When the setting sun brings out a rich, orange glow from the rock formations and the band on stage launches into just the right tune, Red Rocks…

2. Dinosaur Ridge

2.76 MILES

Two interpretive trails as well as a self-guided tour showcase the impressive footprints and sandstone-encased fossils that make up Dinosaur Ridge. If…

3. Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave

6.29 MILES

This museum celebrates the life and legend of William F ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody, an icon of the American West. At his request he was buried at this site…

4. Foothills Art Center

7.27 MILES

Housed in three historic buildings, including a Gothic-style church, this small, carefully managed arts center hosts works by local artists as well as…

6. Coors Brewery

7.49 MILES

Coors Brewery is now officially called MillerCoors, but try telling the locals that. There’s been brewing on this site since 1873. Coors survived the…

7. Clear Creek History Park

7.51 MILES

Explore the life of a homesteader by walking through this re-created pioneer settlement. Here, original and replica 19th-century buildings – a cabin, two…

8. Golden History Center

7.57 MILES

Golden's History Center provides a timeline, albeit zigzagging, of the city's growth and citizens. Rotating exhibits showcase the 15,000 artifacts in the…