Wyoming Dinosaur Center
The Wyoming Dinosaur Center was founded in 1995 as a home for the fossils discovered in the hills outside Thermopolis – just ten minutes away from the museum. Some of the most amazing fossils ever found are displayed – nearly twenty thousand dinosaur bones from the Thermopolis bonebeds and thousands of other specimens from across the state and around the world.
Our efforts have ensured a permanent home for a few of Wyoming’s biggest and most significant discoveries to date, to the delight of children and scientists alike.
At the core of the museum’s mission is unparalleled visitor experiences. From opening day to the present day, our visitors have the opportunity to visit our active excavation sites and work to unearth massive dinosaur fossils, still entombed in the ground, becoming the first living things to see the bone of an animal that died 150 million years ago.
They not only see the past – they hold it in their hands. They use the real tools and methods of paleontologists. Their questions are answered, and their curiosity is encouraged. Paleontology becomes more than a scientific endeavor at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center – it becomes a personal investment and an unforgettable experience.
Today, the Hot Springs State Park honors that treaty. A free bathhouse is open to the public year-round, and the water is maintained at 104 degrees for therapeutic bathing. The world-famous mineral hot springs flows over the park’s colorful terrace every 24 hours at a constant temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a full-service day-use park with comfort stations, trails, fishing, and a boat ramp.
The suspension footbridge across the Bighorn River is commonly called “The Swinging Bridge.” The bridge offers a unique vantage point from which to view the Bighorn River and mineral terrace.
The Hot Springs State Park bison herd is the central herd for the Wyoming State Parks and has inhabited the park since 1916. During the late fall and winter months, the park bison are fed a daily supplement to ensure good health.