Have you ever had the opportunity to dig for dinosaur fossils? Not just idly poking at the ground in the desperate hope of finding something truly amazing, but actually going on a dig with trained and degreed paleontologists to a site known to have produced a myriad of fossil specimens, some groundbreaking in their importance. We thought that opportunity was on our horizon as we approached the nearly dead little hamlet of Bynum, Montana. When we arrived, though, much to our dismay, the sign out front said
CLOSED. Maybe next time.
The center is actually a working research centre, employing degreed paleontological staff. A non profit corporation, the centre receives no tax dollars for its operational costs. The center offers a range of programs, including various school programs, allowing the public and students to work shoulder to shoulder in the field with the paleontological staff uncovering and preserving 65 to 150 million year old fossil treasures.
Short Dig Programs
Our short programs, which range from half a day to three days, are a great opportunity to get your future paleontologist's feet wet. All these programs build off one another, so the longer you stay the more you learn!
Long Programs
We are still working out the kinks, but we have had so many people asking about our 5-day programs that we've decided to let you all know what we're planning (if everything works out...some details may change).
We have two dinosaurs that we need to collect this summer up north near the Canadian border in the Judith River Formation, home to dinosaurs like Leonardo the Brachylophosaurus and Medusaceratops.
We are hoping to camp onsite, or at least nearby. There's no running water at any of our potential camp sites, so that's something to think about. We will have tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, pillows, and cots available for anyone who needs a set and we will be providing all the meals while you're out with us: 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 6 dinners, plus snacks!
Due to the size and nature of the dig sites, we are limiting total group size to 6 people per week and you must be 13 or older.
From the Dinosaur Center
The museum is more or less a sideline, providing a bit of income as well as storage/display space for their specimens. Inside the museum they purport to have the
World's Largest Dinosaur, at least according to the sign on the building. That's not entirely true, though, as the World's Largest Dinosaur is actually in
Drumheller, Alberta. What the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center has instead is the
World's Largest Dinosaur Skeleton.
Also on display are the first baby dinosaur bones to be found in North America, specimens of new species of several types of dinosaurs and various other related displays.
Mission and History
Here at the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center, we believe that the best way to learn something is to experience it. That is why we are one of the only museums in the state of Montana that allows, even encourages, public participation in scientific research. Our public participants get to experience the world of paleontology first-hand. We are achieving this mainly through our public dig programs, volunteer programs, and seminars.
Since its establishment in 1995, the Two Medicine Dinosaur Center has drawn over 5,000 visitors every year to the remote frontier of north central Montana. This non-profit organization receives no tax dollars for its operational costs, yet provides invaluable services to the public through paleontological field programs, exciting exhibits, scientific publications, and consultations. Its dedicated staff provide one of the only museum-based field programs offered to the general public in Montana.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center houses a wide variety of dinosaur fossils, invertebrate fossils, plant fossils, and cultural artifacts. The research collections include new species of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life. TMDC provides both castings and complete exhibits to other institutions, both as permanent or traveling exhibits, bringing the unique discoveries of the Rocky Mountain Front to a wide range of people. On permanent display in Bynum are some of Montana's rarest fossil discoveries, including the first infant Maiasaura bones from the nearby Egg Mountain.
The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center also provides invaluable assistance to other museums across Montana, helping build new exhibits, develop scientific and educational programs, and strengthen the profile of Montana's unique museums.
From the Dinosaur Center