Montana has had more different species of dinosaurs discovered than any other state in the USA. Indeed, it’s home to 75+ different types of dinosaurs!
Glendive, near the eastern border of the state, sits adjacent to acres of badlands and their fossil remains. So it makes sense that there’d be a large dinosaur museum here. However, the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum curation has a twist.
What’s in the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum?
The Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum is home to around 25 dinosaur bone skeletons and many additional dinosaur fossils. But what makes this dinosaur museum distinctive is the way it’s curated.
Rather than looking at dinosaur history as being millions of years long, the museum curates as if the extinction of the dinosaurs is as a result of the biblical flood of Noah’s Arc.
This perspective is Young Earth Creationism.
Indeed, the museum indicates it shares a biblical view of the world, trying to show that dinosaurs walked among us in prehistory. Whether you’re convinced to this viewpoint or not, though, there are a lot of fascinating dinosaur skeletons here.
Fossil Displays
The dinosaur fossil displays are well laid out, along with lots of information on how the bones are removed from the rock. The collection isn’t all from Montana, but includes dinosaurs from other states, giving it a broad perspective
You’ll also find a number of information boards with quotes from various academics supporting the museum’s perspective on creationism.
However, some of the quotes are open to interpretation.
In addition to fossils, there’s also a whole Biblical History Room. It displays a 500 year old Torah Scroll fragment, a number of bibles several hundred years old, and details on how they’ve compared Bible manuscripts to other literature from ancient times.
Linda’s Pick of the Displays
My favorite display was the Marine Exhibit. While the underwater creatures don’t have the impressive size of a T-Rex or Triceratops, their stories are even less widely known and studied.
Fast Fact: The Plesiosaur, for example, was fast and agile at 15 ft (4.5 m) long with a fin span of 15.5 ft (4.7 m). Its teeth were especially interesting. Conical and interlocking, they seem to be the perfect combination of fishing net and chomping design.
This fossil was found in Pierre Shale in Rebird, Wyoming.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
We visited the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum on a weekend getaway to Glendive, Montana. While small towns don’t appeal to everyone, we’re always looking for what’s off the beaten path.
Dining, our favorite meal was at the Trailstar Cafe (also known locally as Gi Gi’s Cafe) that was part of the Sinclair gas station just off of Interstate I-94. The all day cafe had a traditional menu, so David enjoyed the hot beef sandwich and I had an excellent shrimp basket platter.
We chose a motel for our stay, as we always do if there’s a suitable one available, since we enjoy visiting with other travelers as they’re relaxing outside their rooms. There were numerous motels and hotels to choose from, but we picked the Riverside Inn right off Interstate I-94, which was comfortable if not luxurious. The Yellowstone River runs through the middle of Glendive, but there really wasn’t a river view from the motel.
There’s lots to see in and around Glendive, including: Makoshika State Park, the Glendive OHV 2800 acre recreation area for anyone with ATVs and dirt bikes, and the Frontier Gateway Museum.
Who Should Visit the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum?
The Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum may not be for everyone. However, we found that even if you don’t buy into the idea that Noah could have included dinosaurs on his ark — but didn’t — there’s still lots of relevant information.
This is a great dinosaur museum for kids. However, dinosaur lovers of all ages will still find the bones of raptors, gators, triceratops, and other well-known dinosuars fun to see.
With a 20,000 sq ft facility, there’s a lot of walking to fully explore all the exhibits. Kids of course will love it, while moms carrying toddlers and grandparents, not so much. There is, however, an elevator between the main and upper levels.
How Do You Visit the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum?
The Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum is located on Exit 215 off I-94 at 139 State Street.
See the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum on Google Maps.
On the Web, you can choose the Creationtruth.org/ or Visit Montana website.
You’ll also find a series of YouTube videos from the museum, if you’d like to take a virtual tour of the Glendive Dinosaur & Fossil Museum.
Hours open vary according to the season, with the beginning of June to the end of August typically open Monday to Saturday. Some days are open in May and June, as well as September and October, so check the CreationTruth website for details.
Find More Museum Reviews for Montana
Check out more reviews of museum attractions in Montana on guide2museums.com.
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The Field Museum in Chicago is considered one of the world’s best dinosaur museums. But that’s not all – see nearly 40 million artifacts and learn fascinating facts about earth’s natural history! - Frontier Gateway Museum: Dinosaur Fossils & Glendive, Montana History
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The Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum in Montana is narrated from the Young Earth Creationism perspective. It features many dinosaur fossils and a biblical history room.
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