Though this is a small museum it has a lot to offer, with all manner of interesting items crammed onto the grounds and into the buildings. Outside, the first thing one notices on approaching the museum are the dinosaurs, three of which stand outside. Less noticeable are a series of vintage buildings, most of which hold further displays of local paraphernalia. At the end of the row of buildings is an ice cream parlor, open through the season whenever the museum is open.
Inside the main building are paleontology displays as well as items of more recent vintage relating to the local history of Choteau.
Probably the first of the dinosaurs one will notice here is this (mostly) bright orange Styracosaurus standing alongside the street, trying to look fierce. Styracosaurus, though, was herbivorous, so no need to give him a wide berth. Besides, this is just a juvenile, not yet fully grown.
Styracosaurus (/st??ræk?'s??r?s/ sti-RAK-?-SOR-?s; meaning "spiked lizard" from the Ancient Greek styrax/st??a? "spike at the butt-end of a spear-shaft" and sauros/sa???? "lizard") is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Campanian stage), about 75.5 to 75 million years ago. It had four to six long parietal spikes extending from its neck frill, a smaller jugal horn on each of its cheeks, and a single horn protruding from its nose, which may have been up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) long and 15 centimetres (6 inches) wide. The function or functions of the horns and frills have been debated for many years.
Styracosaurus was a relatively large dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5.5 metres (18 feet) and weighing nearly 3 tonnes. It stood about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) tall. Styracosaurus possessed four short legs and a bulky body. Its tail was rather short. The skull had a beak and shearing cheek teeth arranged in continuous dental batteries, suggesting that the animal sliced up plants. Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur may have been a herd animal, travelling in large groups, as suggested by bonebeds.
From Wiki
Old Trail Museum
The museum complex consists of the main museum building which houses a gift shop, a dinosaur gallery, area artifacts and exhibits. A wooden boardwalk accesses several other buildings including the Grizzly Cabin, the Jesse Gleason Art Studio, the Metis House, the Schoolhouse, the Ice Cream Parlor, a Blackfoot tepee or lodge and the Carriage House gift shop that has Montana-made and locally-made items.
The museum is one of 14 stops on the Montana Dinosaur Trail. The Dinosaurs of the Two Medicine Paleontology Gallery in the main building contains a life-size Maiasaura (the Montana State Fossil) along with a mural of the natural environment by local artist Jim Utsler.
Other paleontology exhibits in the gallery include a dinosaur skull cast of Einiosaurus, a cast of a meat-eating dinosaur, dinosaur footprints, dinosaur eggs, nests, and babies; and tools of the trade. Also included are exhibits of Maiasaura babies, Egg Mountain, dinosaur claws, Cretaceous marine fossils, geology of the Rocky Mountain Front and the Willow Creek anticline and a dino dig display.
Included is a “touch” bone where children and adults alike will get the opportunity to see (and touch) a real fossilized duck-billed dinosaur thigh bone.
In addition to the paleontology the museum contains more exhibits such as, Old Agency on the Teton, Jesse Gleason’s art studio, the Old North Trail, a Metis Red River Cart and Choteau’s last hanging.
After touring the museum enjoy an ice cream from the ice cream parlor located in the museum complex. There are shaded picnic tables for your convenience and plenty of room to park your RV.
From the Old Trail Museum