Morrison Natural History Museum

Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater is well-known as one of the most interesting and unique concert venues in the country. The stone pillars and dikes are more than just an exciting backdrop, however. The rocky, exposed terrain also makes it the perfect place for digging up dinosaurs. Several of these finds are housed in Morrison’s very own natural history museum.

Despite its small size, the museum punches well above its weight, with exhibits ranging from the beginning of the age of the dinosaurs, all the way up to Quaternary megafaunas like mammoth and saber tooth skulls. Several complete skeletons are featured, including the Utahraptor and a Geosternbergia, one of the largest pterosaurs. 

The museum was built from the condemned remnant of a local rancher’s cabin. Since 1995, it has been owned and operated by the town of Morrison. All proceeds go towards supporting the museum’s educational services.

The museum offers regular tours on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, which end with a look inside a real paleontology laboratory. One may even get a chance to help drill out a real dinosaur bone. There is also a joint pass with the bus tour of Dinosaur Ridge, where visitors can see fossils still in the ground and a famous tracksite.