Sometimes we forget how blessed we are in Montana. Not every state has its own Glacier or Yellowstone. Few states can compete with the abundance of wildlife here or rival our picturesque scenery. Marvelous landscapes and wide-open spaces set us apart from most states in the Union. And it is because of these geographical wonders (in part) that Montana is one of the few states renowned for its fossil finds and dinosaur museums.
“Our paleo treasures are one of the great reasons to visit Montana,” explains Victor Bjornberg, volunteer coordinator for the Montana Dinosaur Trail, a network of museums across the Treasure State, each with its own permanent (and significant) paleontological exhibits.
A Prehistoric Passport (available at any Trail partner) provides incentive to visit all fourteen facilities; an exclusive Montana Dinosaur Trail t-shirt is awarded to anyone who gets their passport stamped at every Trail facility within five years.
In 2021, the Montana Dinosaur Trail set a lifetime record (since its formation in 2005) for visitation, along with a record number of passport completions. In total, nearly 1,000 passports were sold, including online purchases from people in 31 states and Italy.
Whether you’re a local or out-of-stater, the Montana Dinosaur Trail presents you a remarkable opportunity to view real prehistoric skeletons and, in some cases, excavate them. Three Trail facilities offer field digs. All Trail facilities offer a window into our past.
For more information, visit mtdinotrail.org.
Montana Dinosaur Trail Museums
Old Trail Museum
823 North Main Avenue, Choteau
Montana Dinosaur Center
120 2nd Avenue South, Bynum
Rudyard Depot Museum
25 4th Avenue Northwest, Rudyard
H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum
1753 U.S. Highway 2 Northwest Space 1, Havre
Blaine County Museum
501 Indiana Street, Chinook
Great Plains Dinosaur Museum
405 North 1st Street East, Malta
Phillips County Museum
431 U.S. Highway 2 East, Malta
Fort Peck Interpretive Center
Lower Yellowstone Road, Fort Peck
Museum of the Rockies
600 West Kagy Boulevard, Bozeman
Upper Musselshell Museum
11 & 36 South Central Avenue, Harlowton
Carter County Museum
306 North Main Street, Ekalaka
Garfield County Museum
952 Jordan Avenue, Jordan
MakoshikaState Park
1301 Snyder Avenue, Glendive
Frontier Gateway Museum
201 State Street, Glendive