We “Dig” Dinosaurs: A Dinosaur Adventure With Your Grandchild

6 days

5 nights

14 meals

5B 4L 5D

Thermopolis, WY

At a Glance

Dig up some fun on a paleontology adventure with your grandchild at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Join real paleontologists on fossil hunts in actual dig sites and take part in the process of bringing dinosaur bones from beneath the earth into the lab and onto display in a museum. Take part in a scavenger hunt in the Dinosaur Center and go inside the preparation lab to try your hand at the tools the experts use to prepare dinosaur fossils for display. Paint model dinosaurs in realistic colors, collect fossils to take home with you and much more on this prehistoric journey.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

During excavations, being on knees or bending is common in sometimes hot and windy conditions. Short walks on field trips. Elevations of 4,500 feet.

Small Group

Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 10 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you'll ...

Dig alongside paleontologists at actual dinosaur dig sites, using the same tools that they use while you learn about digging, mapping and preserving bones.
Learn about each step in the process of bringing a dinosaur to life, from discovery, digging and preparation to molding, casting, and display.
Explore the Wyoming Dinosaur Center on a scavenger hunt with your grandchild and take home invertebrate fossils and creative projects you’ve worked on together.

General Notes

Program is for grandchildren ages 10-12. Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.

Featured Expert

All Experts

Bill Wahl

As a child, Bill Wahl collected dinosaur toys — today, he works as the Paleontologist and Preparation Laboratory manager at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. He is in charge of preparing a selection of material collected locally from various geologic formations. Using these materials, as well as his master’s degree in geology, Bill teaches outreach programs at universities and science museums. He has developed four separate thesis projects on the materials he has collected, prepared and researched, and enjoys sharing his findings with learners of all ages.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Bill Wahl

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Suggested Reading List

View 8 books

Bones Rock!: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Paleontologist

by Peter Larson

The Practical Paleontologist

by Steve Parker

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-To-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages

by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz Jr.

Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World

by John Foster

Rising from the Plains

by John McPhee

Wyoming's Dinosaur Discoveries

by The Big Horn Basin Foundation

Written by the Dig Site Manager of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, this pictorial book explains where Wyoming Dinosaurs are now located around the World.

Roadside Geology of Wyoming

by David Lageson

The Top 256 Rules of Paleontology: Practical Advice for Fossil Technicians

by Walter W. Stein

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6 days

5 nights

14 meals

5 B 4 L 5 D

DAY

1

Orientation and Digging

Thermopolis, WY

D

Quality Inn

Activity note: At 5:45 p.m. I will pick you up from the Quality Inn and take you to the Safari Club restaurant to have dinner and we will have an orientation. **The food options in Thermopolis are VERY limited. I will do what I can to accommodate you, but be aware that Thermopolis is a town of under 3,000 people and we do not have the same options as places in a city.

Afternoon: 1:30-6:00 p.m. Check into hotel

Dinner: Dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Safari Club Restaurant which is at the Days Inn. Orientation will also be done during this time.

Evening: Orientation. At this time we will hand out information about the week including the schedule.

DAY

2

Digging for dinosaurs first thing to beat the heat!

Thermopolis, WY

B,L,D

Quality Inn

Activity note: At 8:30 a.m., we'll go up to the quarry. Please remember to bring sunscreen/a hat, a water bottle (we provide ice water), and close toed shoes (NO flip flops or sandals are allowed). Pictures and questions are highly encouraged. After lunch we will do a tour of the Museum. The afternoon scavenger hunt comes with prizes!

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: 8:30-11:45 a.m. Digging dinosaurs first thing in the morning! The guide will introduce everyone to the site we will be digging and the tools we use.

Lunch: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch to be determined

Afternoon: 1:15-4:00 p.m. Scavenger Hunt in The Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Winners chose a prize! 4:00-6:00 p.m. Free time to explore Thermopolis and nearby attractions such as the Hot Springs County Museum, the Hot Springs State Park and pools, and others.

Dinner: 6:00 Dinner to be determined at a local restaurant.

DAY

3

Digging in Dinosaur Quarries in the morning and following the bones into the preparation lab that afternoon.

Thermopolis, WY

B,L,D

Quality Inn

Activity note: Now that you've had some practice digging, you can do some serious excavating! In the prep lab that afternoon, we well make sure everyone has a chance to try the main tools we use to clean dinosaur bones for study or display.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: 8:45-11:45 a.m. Digging in dinosaur quarries.

Lunch: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch to be determined.

Afternoon: 1:15-4:00 p.m. Exploring tools in the prep lab.

Dinner: 6:15 p.m. Dinner to be determined at a local restaurant.

Evening: Free time.

DAY

4

Visiting a Petroglyph site and touring the Wind River Canyon

Thermopolis, WY

B,L,D

Quality Inn

Activity note: We will visit Legend Rock Petroglyph site in the morning and then head to the Cody Shale to collect baculite fossils. Lunch will be at a restaurant in town. After lunch, we will do a tour of the Wind River Canyon and the Hot Springs State Park. There will also be some free time if the kids want to swim at one of the waterparks in the State Park.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: 8:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. Visiting an archaeological site and collecting surface fossils in an ancient seaway.

Lunch: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch to be Determined.

Afternoon: 1:15-4:00 p.m. We will do a tour of the Wind River Canyon and Hot Springs State Park.

Dinner: 6:00 p.m. Dinner to be determined at a local restaurant.

Evening: Free time.

DAY

5

Digging in the Dinosaur Quarries and invertebrate collecting

Thermopolis, WY

B,L,D

Quality Inn

Activity note: Not all our fossils are great big dinosaurs! On our ranch, we also collect invertebrate fossils from a Jurassic Seaway. We will do activities in the museum in the afternoon.

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.

Morning: 8:45-11:45 a.m. Digging in dinosaur quarries and a prospecting trip to the Sundance Seaway.

Lunch: 12:00-1:00 p.m. Lunch to be Determined.

Afternoon: 1:15-4:00 p.m. We will be doing various activities back at the museum.

Dinner: 6:15-8:00 p.m. Dinner to be determined at a local restaurant.

DAY

6

Departure

Thermopolis, WY

B

Activity note: We will have everyone back at the hotel by 11:00 a.m. for check out. We will also tour our welding building where we mount our dinosaurs!

Breakfast: Breakfast and check out by 11:00 a.m.

Meals

14 Meals

5 Breakfasts

4 Lunches

5 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Lodging

Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.

Display

Aug 04, 2019 - Aug 09, 2019

Jun 23, 2019 - Jun 28, 2019
Aug 04, 2019 - Aug 09, 2019

Quality Inn

5 nights

Thermopolis

Located near the South end of Thermopolis, this hotel is close to the Big Horn River Access and access to the Wind River Canyon.

TripAdvisor Reviews

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3 Reviews

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3.67 Average

Vicki

Class of 2018

Sarasota, FL

(5) 3 months ago

This program is absolutely wonderful for children interested id dinosaurs, paleontology, and history. It is also a great bonding experience for grandparents and grandchildren.

Steve

Class of 2018

Benicia, CA

(1) 3 months ago

THIS TRIP IS A MUST TO AVOID. This was my first Road Scholar trip after many friends recommended taking one. I was on trip 21564 a grandparent/grandchild trip to the Wyoming Dinosaur center. If this is what a Road Scholar trip is typically like I will never take one again and tell all my friends to avoid them too. It stared with the hotel. They said it was a pet friendly hotel. At most hotels this means a few rooms are for pets. I am highly allergic to pets. I called the hotel weeks ahead of time saying I want an upper floor room that didn't have a pet in it. They assured me this was not a problem. When we arrived at the hotel I told them I requested an upper floor non pet room. They told me we would have to wait a half hour cause I asked for a change of assigned rooms and all the rooms had pets in them. Needless to say I have been having a severe allergic reaction now for days. They also haphazardly decide not to clean rooms. It is like winning the lottery if you get your room cleaned. Now on to the program. They come pick us up in a rickety old van that barely fit all of us. The air conditioner was broke and it was 90 to 100 degrees all week. The van was very dangerous for seniors to get in and out of. I was surprised no one got hurt. Next, their itinerary was very different than the one Road Scholar provided. Road Scholar's one had us eating at a restaurant that has been closed for four years. The program seemed to be designed on the fly with no forethought. Long dig times in the hot sun and a very boring kid's program. They managed to make dinosaurs boring for a group of 10-12 year old's. Lunch most days was sandwiches. After three of the five days most of the kids wanted to leave. If this is how a Road Scholar trip typically is I will never go on one again.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us, Steve. We are sorry to hear that the accommodations and program transportation did not meet your expectations. We continue to work with our hotels to ensure the housekeeping is reliable, but cannot guarantee that a pet friendly hotel will be a good fit for one with a severe pet allergy. The AC in the van was broken at the start of this program date but repaired quickly and yes, this program does include long days with bag lunches which can be hot in the summer in this locale. We will use your comments to continue to improve this program offering. As a first timer, please know that we have a large variety of programs that might align better with your expectations in the future and we would love to have you on another Road Scholar program.

Bob

Class of 2002

Flower Mound, TX

(5) 4 months ago

Great intergenerational program. The value of the time I got to spend with my grandson cannot be overstated.