There was a little highway off Colorado’s main freeway (I-70) that took us to Morrison, CO after seeing signs about Dinosaur trails. It was a little town with two free scenic areas to visit that will entertain the whole family.
Dinosaur Ridge Visitor Center – Morrison, CO
As most 3 year olds, my son’s fascination with dinosaurs took us to the Dinosaur Ridge Center just outside of Denver on our first visit to Colorado. This area known as Dinosaur Ridge was once inhabited by dinosaurs where bones, fossils and tracks could still be touched and explored.
Pressed for time, we did not have the chance to explore the 2 mile roundtrip trail whether by hiking or through the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus left on the hour for a guided tour of Dinosaur Ridge. Cost was $3 per person and kids 5 and under were free. The Triceratops Trail is definitely worth exploring on our next visit.
We settled for the Visitors Center and Exhibit Hall which still offered plenty of educational activities, interactive exhibits and dinosaur related items, replicas and fossils to touch and hold. This was located in a converted old barn with plenty of outdoor parking and grassy area for kids to run around. There was minimal donation of $1-$2.
Touch screen kiosks were also available for the kids to learn more about geology and dinosaurs. An adjacent gift shop sold a variety of all dinosaur or reptile related books, stuffed animals, figures, toys and some rocks and crystals to keep kids busy shopping.
It may be a bit hard to walk out of this place empty-handed. Located next to the gift shop was a simulated dinosaur dig for the kids to explore. Unfortunately, it was a little muddy during our visit so we decided to pass on this one.
For some kids, the real attraction may be the colorful dinosaurs displayed outside the visitor center. These dinosaurs were decorated with different themes including one from the girl scouts and one looking very patriotic. My kids had fun posing next to these replicas.
Dinosaur Ridge ~ Exhibit Hall Hours: Mon.-Sat: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM; Sun.: 11:00 Am – 4:30 PM ~ Address: 16831 W Alameda Pkwy., Morrison, CO 80465 ~ Phone: 303.697.3466 ~ Email: [email protected]
Red Rocks Park & Ampitheatre – Morrison, CO
This park was truly a unique marvel. The huge red rock formations were visible from the road and offered impressive views. The red colored sandstone monoliths made for some quite amazing photos.
There was a Colorado Welcome Center at the entrance of the park along with a gift shop next to it. The people were very helpful and friendly. Brochures, magazines, maps were available. If only we found this place at the beginning of our trip and not towards the end.
There were plenty of signs that led us to the Red Rocks Amphitheater which was up the hill and we even had the chance to go through the rocks. This amphitheater was a must see venue. I
t was a one of a kind open-air theater with a stage at the bottom flagged by two giant rocks on each side. I know it would be a great experience to see a performance show there in its perfect acoustic environment.
We took the elevator down to the visitor center for restaurant, merchandise, and restroom facilities. There were also some exhibits about the history of the ampitheater and all the performances over the years. Guided tours were available everyday at 10:00 AM.
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater Visitor Center ~ Hours: 5AM – 11PM ~ Address: 18300 W. Alameda Parkway Morrison, CO 80465 ~ Phone: 720.865.2494
Ahhh dinosaurs!! I really want to hit some of these places before my son gets too old. He wants to be an archaeologist and/or paleontologist at the moment. Did you check out byways.org because I think they have a Dinosaur Byway trip that might be similar to where you took your kids. Have you been to the dinosaur sites in South Dakota yet? I think they have quite a few as well to check out. Thanks so much for your tips as well on places where you can see dinosaurs :)
Thanks for the tip on byways.org, Sere. I just checked it out and Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway looks so interesting. We were also looking at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah for next time. We haven’t been to South Dakota yet. How wonderful that your son has a passion for archaelogy and paleontology. I bet he has a lot of fun at natural history museums.
Thanks for stopping by Cheryl! My son loved dinosaurs when he was younger too and is still fascinated with them. We also just heard about Dinosaur National Monument between Colorado and Utah. It would be a great place to check out too.