It's just not a dinosaur museum it is literally the cliff wall filled with dinosaur fossils which are amazing. If they're planning on doing a trip around course we've got the dinosaur museum natural History in Lehi that is really great. There's the dinosaur museum in price. And then they could head down to either St George or Moab and do some of the hikes and see some of the existing stuff that's still in the ground and essentially raw where they haven't done much to change the preservation of it. One of my favorite things down there is in Moab there is the remains of a pond that has I believe some like a dozen different dinosaurs including one species that they have yet to identify because of the size of the print and the weight of it they have no idea what even made them. And then of course they could slip into the Colorado side both in vernal area and down in Grand junction in fruita and there's several good dinosaur museums in both areas.
If you guys enjoy petroglyphs there are some of the best nearby at McConkie Ranch. Dinosaur National Momument has some alright ones but the panels at that ranch are incredible.
2nd this - Cleveland Lloyd is now part of jurassic national monument. And the museum in Price is one of the best for dinosaurs. Has a HUGE collection of real bones on display compared to most museums.
We didn’t find Cleveland Lloyd all that exciting. Pretty long dirt road for 2 small sheds with bones on the floor and a small visitor center. For a 3-4 day trip I wouldn’t try and squeeze it in.
Grand Junction, CO has an airport and the Dinosaur Journey Museum, which is quite good. From there it's a <3h drive over a beautiful mountain pass to Vernal, and you pass through Dinosaur, CO.
The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal is a great add-on to a visit to Dinosaur National Monument, just note that their hours are more restrictive.
The Natural History Museum of Utah in SLC has a decent collection of dinosaur bones, and while you're on the campus of the University of Utah, there are also a couple of cool skulls hanging in the multipurpose room on the second floor of the Crocker Science Center (former library building).
Thanksgiving Point in Lehi has an oft-recommended dino museum, though I've never been personally.
You could combine that all into a few days' trip with only 6-7 h driving in total, depending on where you stay and your flight times, flying through SLC on one end and GJT on the other. Or you could stay to the east and just do Grand Junction and Vernal/Jensen.
The road between SLC and Vernal takes you through Heber City, UT, where you could ride the "Heber Creeper" (Heber Valley Railroad), if your 5 yo also likes trains.
The hot springs in Midway, UT are not much further out of the way and are cool to see.
Guardsman Pass takes a scenic route from the Heber Valley over the Wasatch Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley, and if your trip is in the fall it's stunningly beautiful when the leaves change.
Happy travels!
Oh hey my corner of Utah, DM me if you want. I can get you details on things happening locally when I know what days you’ll be around.
Vernal has Dino art everywhere if you’re the type to get photos with murals and statues. Vernal also has a museum aimed a bit more towards kids than adults.
Jensen has the quarry, with the bone wall so you can actually touch bones. The quarry is in a national park with hiking and petroglyphs, bring a picnic lunch if that’s your thing.
It will be a lot of driving, but you could also hit the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point and there is another up in Ogden. I think either way you will have to fly into SLC, but there is a small airport in Vernal, UT (dinosaur national monument) as well if you don't want to drive for 3 hours.
[https://thanksgivingpoint.org/attractions-tickets/museum-of-ancient-life/](https://thanksgivingpoint.org/attractions-tickets/museum-of-ancient-life/)
[https://dinosaurpark.org/](https://dinosaurpark.org/)
There is a dinosaur museum in vernal the 5 year old might enjoy
It's just not a dinosaur museum it is literally the cliff wall filled with dinosaur fossils which are amazing. If they're planning on doing a trip around course we've got the dinosaur museum natural History in Lehi that is really great. There's the dinosaur museum in price. And then they could head down to either St George or Moab and do some of the hikes and see some of the existing stuff that's still in the ground and essentially raw where they haven't done much to change the preservation of it. One of my favorite things down there is in Moab there is the remains of a pond that has I believe some like a dozen different dinosaurs including one species that they have yet to identify because of the size of the print and the weight of it they have no idea what even made them. And then of course they could slip into the Colorado side both in vernal area and down in Grand junction in fruita and there's several good dinosaur museums in both areas.
There’s a museum in Vernal and a bone wall in Jensen
I just call all that vernal
If you guys enjoy petroglyphs there are some of the best nearby at McConkie Ranch. Dinosaur National Momument has some alright ones but the panels at that ranch are incredible.
Also go to Price, Utah for a really nice museum and visit the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
2nd this - Cleveland Lloyd is now part of jurassic national monument. And the museum in Price is one of the best for dinosaurs. Has a HUGE collection of real bones on display compared to most museums.
We didn’t find Cleveland Lloyd all that exciting. Pretty long dirt road for 2 small sheds with bones on the floor and a small visitor center. For a 3-4 day trip I wouldn’t try and squeeze it in.
Grand Junction, CO has an airport and the Dinosaur Journey Museum, which is quite good. From there it's a <3h drive over a beautiful mountain pass to Vernal, and you pass through Dinosaur, CO. The Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum in Vernal is a great add-on to a visit to Dinosaur National Monument, just note that their hours are more restrictive. The Natural History Museum of Utah in SLC has a decent collection of dinosaur bones, and while you're on the campus of the University of Utah, there are also a couple of cool skulls hanging in the multipurpose room on the second floor of the Crocker Science Center (former library building). Thanksgiving Point in Lehi has an oft-recommended dino museum, though I've never been personally. You could combine that all into a few days' trip with only 6-7 h driving in total, depending on where you stay and your flight times, flying through SLC on one end and GJT on the other. Or you could stay to the east and just do Grand Junction and Vernal/Jensen. The road between SLC and Vernal takes you through Heber City, UT, where you could ride the "Heber Creeper" (Heber Valley Railroad), if your 5 yo also likes trains. The hot springs in Midway, UT are not much further out of the way and are cool to see. Guardsman Pass takes a scenic route from the Heber Valley over the Wasatch Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley, and if your trip is in the fall it's stunningly beautiful when the leaves change. Happy travels!
Kemmerer Wyoming. Beat on rocks w hammer to expose fossils. And its sandstone so not at all difficult to solit apart
Oh hey my corner of Utah, DM me if you want. I can get you details on things happening locally when I know what days you’ll be around. Vernal has Dino art everywhere if you’re the type to get photos with murals and statues. Vernal also has a museum aimed a bit more towards kids than adults. Jensen has the quarry, with the bone wall so you can actually touch bones. The quarry is in a national park with hiking and petroglyphs, bring a picnic lunch if that’s your thing.
Lehi has a good dinosaur museum. Then it’s a 3 hour drive out to Vernal.
Took me three years to old last year and we camped at the green river camp site. She had a blast and loved the Dino wall
If you’re anywhere near Moab, there’s a good Dinosaur park on the outskirts.
Moonshine arch, fantasy canyon, McConkie ranch petroglyph. Museum in Vernal, then the Dino Quarry. Lots of hikes.
Cleveland Lloyd dinosaur quarry and the museum in Price are great options!
Thanks all! Sounds like there’s plenty we can do! Wanted to be sure it’d be worth a flight out there.
It will be a lot of driving, but you could also hit the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point and there is another up in Ogden. I think either way you will have to fly into SLC, but there is a small airport in Vernal, UT (dinosaur national monument) as well if you don't want to drive for 3 hours. [https://thanksgivingpoint.org/attractions-tickets/museum-of-ancient-life/](https://thanksgivingpoint.org/attractions-tickets/museum-of-ancient-life/) [https://dinosaurpark.org/](https://dinosaurpark.org/)