Royal Tyrrell Museum

Royal Tyrrell Museum. Located in Drumheller, Alberta, the museum is situated in the heart of the Badlands, near the Red Deer River. The museum is named after Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a Canadian geologist and cartographer who discovered dinosaur fossils in the area. The museum is affiliated with the University of Calgary and the Royal Ontario Museum.

● History

The museum's history dates back to the 1970s, when the Government of Alberta decided to build a museum to showcase the province's rich paleontological heritage. The museum was designed by BCW Architects and opened its doors in 1985. Since then, it has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Alberta, attracting visitors from around the world, including Toronto, Vancouver, and New York City. The museum has also collaborated with other institutions, such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Field Museum of Natural History, to advance the field of paleontology.

● Exhibits

The museum features a wide range of exhibits, including dinosaur fossils, mineral specimens, and fossilized plants. Some of the most notable exhibits include a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, a Triceratops skull, and a Stegosaurus skeleton. The museum also has exhibits on the geology of the Badlands, including the Horseshoe Canyon and the Dinosaur Provincial Park. Visitors can also explore the Black Beauty Tyrannosaurus rex exhibit, which features a well-preserved skeleton of the theropod dinosaur. The museum has also hosted temporary exhibits, such as the Dinosaur Eggs exhibit, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

● Collections

The museum's collections include over 130,000 fossil specimens, including dinosaur bones, ammonites, and belemnites. The collections are managed by a team of curators and conservators who work to preserve and study the specimens. The museum also has a large collection of mineral specimens, including amethyst, quartz, and pyrite. The collections are used for research and education, and are also made available to other institutions, such as the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum of Natural History. The museum has also collaborated with the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia to study the paleoecology of the Western Interior Seaway.

● Research

The museum is involved in a wide range of research activities, including paleontological fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and computational modeling. The museum's researchers collaborate with other institutions, such as the University of Toronto and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to study the evolution and diversity of ancient life forms. The museum is also involved in the study of climate change and its impact on ecosystems, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The museum's research has been published in leading scientific journals, such as Nature and Science, and has been recognized with awards from the National Science Foundation and the Royal Society of Canada.

● Facilities

The museum's facilities include a large exhibit gallery, a laboratory and conservation facility, and a library and archives. The museum also has a theater and a lecture hall, which are used for public programs and events, such as the TED Conference and the World Science Festival. The museum's facilities are designed to be accessible to visitors with disabilities, and include features such as wheelchair ramps and audio descriptions. The museum has also partnered with the Canadian Museum of History and the Science North to develop educational programs and resources for students and teachers. The museum is a member of the Canadian Museums Association and the International Council of Museums. Category:Paleontology museums