Dinosaurs Around Town – Find Dinosaurs in the Twin Cities

Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102
The obvious place to visit to learn about dinosaurs is the Science Museum of Minnesota. Where else can you find full-size dinosaur skeletons, dinosaur books, dinosaur toys? I’ve spent entire visits in this section of the museum alone. While many museum dinosaurs are reproductions, the Science Museum’s Triceratops is one of only four real skeletons, as well as the largest specimen, on display in the world.

We all know SMM has the big dinosaur skeletons, like the triceratops, but their collections also contain thousands of real dinosaur fossils and artifacts of all sizes from Jurassic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, Cretacious time periods and more. Learn more here.

• Dinosaurs and Fossils Gallery – Permanent exhibit near the cafeteria.

Budget Ideas:

1. If you have a pint-sized dinosaur lover and you don’t want to pay SMM admission for what could be a very short visit, you can still visit the mighty T-Rex in the lobby and touch its tooth for FREE. Then walk over to George Latimer Library (where there is always free admission) to read about dinosaurs together in the cozy children’s section.
2. A family membership is $139.00/year and includes FREE entry plus Omnitheater tickets all year long. That is less than $12/month to have a family night out at the movies any time and dinosaur access whenever you want!
3. If your family is currently on EBT, MA, WIC or Free/Reduced Lunches, you qualify for a Limited Income Membership, which is only $49.50/year. That is less than $5/month for the whole family and qualifies for all the same benefits at the regular family membership.

The Bell Museum of Natural History

2088 Larpenteur Ave W, St Paul, MN 55113
While the Bell doesn’t have any actual dinosaurs for visitors to view, they do have an Ice Age Exhibit in their Tree of Life Gallery. Mammoths are pretty cool, too. I list this museum because, in the Bell’s updated Touch and See lab, kids can pretend to be real paleontologists with identification guides, magnifying glasses, and other scientific tools.

Cool Fact: Did you know that many of the Dinosaur reproductions seen in museums all around the country are made right here in the Twin Cities by, Blue Rhino Studios in Eagan? See their work at the Bell Museum’s Ice Age exhibit.

Budget Ideas:

1. A family membership is $95.00/year and includes FREE entry plus 1/2-price planetarium admission all year long. That is less than $8/month!
2. If your family is currently on EBT, MA, WIC or Free/Reduced Lunches, you qualify for a Curiosity Membership, which is only $15/year. That is an amazing deal that you can’t beat.

Sinclair Gas Station in Champlin

120 Curtis Rd, Champlin, MN 55316
If you happen to be driving through Champlin, stop at the Sinclair Gas Station to visit their dinosaur mascot. See photos here.