Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, located in Drumheller, Alberta, is Canada’s only museum dedicated exclusively to the study of ancient life. It houses one of the world’s largest displays of dinosaur fossils, offering visitors an immersive experience into the prehistoric past. Operated by the Government of Alberta, the museum also serves as a research facility, contributing significantly to palaeontological studies. Visitors can explore various exhibits, participate in educational programs, and shop for unique souvenirs related to palaeontology.

Planning your visit

The Royal Tyrrell is Canada's only museum devoted entirely to palaeontology, and its location explains everything about it. Drumheller sits in the Alberta badlands, where the Red Deer River has cut through 70 million years of sediment to expose one of the richest dinosaur fossil beds on earth — Albertosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and the horned and duck-billed dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous. Many specimens on display were excavated within a short drive of the building. Opened in 1985 and operated by the Government of Alberta, it holds one of the world's largest dinosaur displays and functions as an active research institution, with preparation laboratories visible from the public galleries so you can watch fossils being cleaned.

The landscape around it is a substantial part of the experience. The badlands are genuinely strange country — banded rock, hoodoos, near-total absence of vegetation — and driving in from the prairie above, the ground simply drops away. Allow three hours for the museum, and more for the surroundings if the weather cooperates.

Because Drumheller is roughly ninety minutes from Calgary and considerably further from Banff, most bookable options include the drive. Day trips from Calgary combine museum entry with badlands stops: Horseshoe Canyon, the hoodoos, and the coulees along the river. Private tours from Banff cover the longer route with flexible pacing. Full-day formats from Drumheller itself add canyon walks and deeper badlands exploration, which suits visitors staying locally and wanting more than the museum alone. Family formats are common, given dinosaurs. Current departures are shown below.