Entry No. 106 — the Denver file — filed under: history
Morrison Natural History Museum
“baby Stegosaurus tracks small enough to be covered by a coffee mug”
This storefront-sized museum south of Morrison is so small you'd drive past it on the way to Red Rocks, but its staff actually discovered baby dinosaur trackways in the foothills — including running infant-sauropod prints and baby Stegosaurus tracks small enough to be covered by a coffee mug. There's an open fossil-preparation lab where you can watch researchers chip rock under a magnifier, and many of the specimens out front were found within a few miles. It punches so far above its size that the discoveries made national science press.
The move: Spend an hour geeking out over coffee-mug-sized dino footprints and watching the prep-lab work, then drive ten minutes up to Red Rocks for sunset — small-museum charm followed by a big view.
📍 Before you go It sits right on Colorado Highway 8 (CO-8) in south Morrison, on your right as you head out of downtown — easy to blow past on the Red Rocks run, so watch for the sign. There's free parking on-site. This is a small, tour-led museum: admission includes a guided walk-through and a prep-lab visit, with tours at set times through the day, so aim to arrive aligned with one (times shift seasonally — check ahead). It's an indoor stop, good year-round and a solid rainy-day pick. Pair it with Red Rocks Park or nearby Dinosaur Ridge, then wander historic downtown Morrison's cafes a couple of minutes north.
- 📍 Morrison
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Morrison Natural History Museum, 501 Colorado Highway 8, Morrison, CO (just south of downtown Morrison)
Hours: Small museum with a modest admission fee; hours are limited (typically daily but check the town of Morrison site before going). Tours and the prep lab are part of the visit.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · Atlas Obscura · eurekalert.org
last checked: 2026-06-07