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The Royal Tyrrell Museum

Opening Diorama
When I was little, I had a healthy appreciation for dinosaurs. Growing up in Alberta, we were well aware that we lived in a hotbed of prehistoric activity, so dinos always seemed tangible. In fact, I even went to school with a kid who found a dinosaur bone in his backyard, and while noteworthy, it wasn't unheard of. I liked to watch the Land Before Time movies on VHS, and grew into the Jurassic Park Franchise (and just as quickly grew out of it). My interest was nominal, but healthy. My brother, on the other hand, was absolutely OBSESSED with dinosaurs. Some of his first words we "Brontosaurus" and "Pterodactyl". I'm not even kidding. He was a dino-maniac. Because of this, my parents took us (read: him) to see the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and I only remember being upset that the dinosaurs couldn't talk. My expectations were few, but high.

That being said, over the years my unintentional boycott of the Royal Tyrrell wained. The Husband (an import from Manitoba) and I decided to make a trip out to see "The Badlands" of Alberta to not only see the desert (yep, we have desert in Alberta, and the Hoodoos (look them up, they are so cool), and the dinos.

Science-Meets-Art
Gallery
When we arrived, we made the mistake of accidentally visiting on a holiday. Bad idea. I am fairly certain that 98% of the Albertan population was there that day, as well as 76% of the rest of the world. It. Was. Packed. We also did not do our research beforehand (facepalm) and missed all the guided tours. We weren't at our best. However, despite our complete lack of planning, we had an absolutely amazing time.

The Husband
& his maps
As you progress through the museum, you move forward in time. The museum does a great job of using design and wayfinding to immerse the guests in each different era, and transition between eras too. The first exhibits appear to have been completely redone (at least, based on my last visit 20 years ago...) and we were both so impressed! As I have mentioned before, The Husband is a science teacher, so he was particularly interested in that aspect and was very impressed in the accessibility of the content and educational components of the exhibits. He also loved the fact that they have a place reminiscent of a Bubbles Car Wash where you can watch the experts preparing and researching fossils.

The Prehistoric Gardens
I on the other hand really liked the exhibit on science-meets-art and the absolutely stunning way in which the new exhibits are designed. They are not only beautiful, but they immerse you in the prehistoric world. One of my other favourite parts was the exhibit all about the amazing fossil finds from everyday people. From miners to children, some of the best examples of paleontological finds were from Albertans finding "a cool rock", and uncovering an entire specimen.

There were tons of different areas, including some with live animals that existed or had close relatives who existed during the prehistoric era! I thought that was really neat. The greenhouse area, which was made to show you what Alberta was like at the during its paleontological peak, was so lovely. It not only gave your mind a break from the information in the galleries, but it was also a nice place to sit and relax. They also had an area where they talked about different cultures' interpretation of dinosaurs, with a special focus on the Chinese Dragons. I thought that was really interesting too. I even managed to purchase a new patch for my jacket after being to pin-only museums! I was pretty excited about it. In addition, I have been seeing this particular patch more and more, which is exciting! I'm hoping museum patch demand will pick up so that I can collect them more often. I sincerely doubt that will ever happen but I can dream!

Recommended Time: 2-2.5 Hours

Highlights: The time-immersion of each era was really well done and helped you feel like you really were experiencing the progression of time. The new areas were state-of-the-art not only in technology but also in aesthetic; the latter of which I feel is often neglected in museums. Lastly, the chance for guests to watch the experts work is so great. While I am sure they find it annoying to have so many people watching them while they work, it creates such an important connection between those experiencing our history, and those working to learn more about it. It humanized the entire experience.

Missed: While it was our fault that we missed the guided tours and outdoor hikes through the badlands and into the fossil-beds, I still really wish we could have gone. Enough so, that we will probably make the trip out there again so that we can have the chance to experience it.

Ratings
Family Friendly: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
Staff Knowledge: 4/5
Content: 4/5
Experience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4.25/5


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