Dinosaur Journey Museum, Fruita, CO

For anyone who loves science and dinosaurs, Fuita, Colorado is a destination. In this smaller city of Colorado one can find the Dinosaur Journey Museum. This museum is completely interactive in their dinosaur displays. The journey begins with the history of life in western Colorado and the surrounding areas. It discusses the fossils, skeletons, and other items found during excavations. There are also robotic reconstructions of dinosaurs to show visitors how they moved around the earth.

The exhibit is definitely hands on with a number of paleontology displays, a working laboratory, and collections which are studied by scientists. Animals, earthquake displays, and a library are also part of the museum. One can step into the sandbox to test out their own dinosaur tracks and "quarry'' site for bones. Within the exhibits are Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Allosaurus bones. The robotic dinosaurs are Utahraptor, Dilophosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus. Photos of digs are on display, including some from the early 1900's.

Guests of the museum are able to compare a Supersaurus shoulder blade to that of the Amphicoelias Fragillimus. This dinosaur is reputed to have dwarfed most of the other dinosaurs walking around. There is a tiny Jurassic lizard pelvis which can be compared to the Apatosaurus pelvis. The Apatosaurus is about a million times heavier than the lizard. Other exhibits will show dinosaur tracks, corals, fossil fish, and much more.

The Dinosaur Journey Museum is part of the Museum of Western Colorado. While visiting the area visitors can also enjoy the Museum of the West, where time travel is essential to examining what the west was like in the 1740's. A Spanish merchant ship, Spanish Canon, and other colonial artifacts are on display. Visitors are also able to walk into the re-creation of Grand Junction with its old boardwalk and historic buildings. From this area one can migrate to the Cross Orchards Historic Site. Two Rivers Chautauqua, Apple Jubilee and Wild West Days are offered here, with an authentic train robbery. The last part of the entire museum is the Whitman Education Center. It hosts special events, parties, family reunions, meetings, and business events all while giving an educational lesson regarding the history of Colorado and the dinosaurs. The Museum of Western Colorado is actually located in Grand Junction, a small drive from Fruita.

Dinosaur Journey Museum is open seven days a week during summer from 9am to 5pm. Winter hours are Monday through Saturday 10am to 4pm, and Sunday noon to 4pm. Admission is quite reasonable at $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for children, and $20 for family groups. They also offer a membership which allows free entry at any time. School groups are welcome. Children under 3 are free.

The Dinosaur Journey Museum is located near other attractions of Fruita, especially some restaurant food chains. The city is located in the western section of Colorado making it easy to access from the entire state and that of Utah. Other close by states' residents frequently visit the museum as well due to its easy drive.