Jurassic James'
Top 10 Favorite Paleo Places!
So you and or your kids love dinosaurs and fossils? Now what? Where do you go? These are a few of my favorite places that you can get your fossil on!
1. The Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston, Texas
Address: 5555 Hermann Park Dr, Houston TX 77030
Phone: (713) 639-4629
Website (link): http://www.hmns.org/
The Houston Museum of Natural Science has world class exhibits with exhibitions covering a large variety of subjects. The Hall of Paleontology (commonly called the “Dinosaur Hall”) is on of the largest in the United States and spans from the earliest bacterial life all the way to man.

Hamman Hall of Texas Coastal Ecology

Morian Hall of Paleontology

Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife

Herzstein Foucault Pendulum

Hall of Ancient Egypt

Wiess Energy Hall

Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals

Lester & Sue Smith Gem Vault

Faberge: The Art of Presentation

Frensley/Graham Hall of African Wildlife

John P. McGovern Hall of The Americas

The George W. Strake Hall Of Malacology
2. The Whiteside Museum of Natural History in Seymour, Texas
Address: 310 N Washington St, Seymour, TX 76380
Phone: (940) 889-6548
Website (link): http://www.wmnh.org/
The Whiteside Museum of Natural History is the Pride of Baylor County. This museum is one of the most scientifically active in Texas. the museum’s Director Chris Flis and Assistant Director Holly Simon actively dig fossils from local ranches and beyond, then displays them! This is made possible thanks to their amazing (on site) fossil prepatory lab, where you and your family can see the paleontology up close.

Edaphosaurus reconstruction on display

Dimertodon Statue

Dimertodon skeleton on display

Xenocanthid (Orthocanthus) shark spine

Dimertodon jaw in the prep lab

Diadectes skull on display

Museum mural next to parking lot

Front of museum in 2017

Tyrannosaurus rex head reconstruction
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Dimertodon skeleton in prep lab
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Fossil jacket in prep lab
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Dimetrodon bones in Whiteside Collections
3. The Dinosaur Park near Bastrop, Texas
Address: 893 Union Chapel Rd, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
Phone: (512) 321-6262
Website (link): http://www.thedinopark.com/
The Dinosaur Park is one of my personal favorite places! They have the most acurate life size dinosaur models in Texas (Jurassic James Approved). Children and adults of all ages will appreciate this wonderful eden. I love to lead field trips here, but strongly encourage you to visit on your own. They are always looking for more models to add to the tour.
Most important to me is they have an amazing gift shop that I surrender a portion of my paycheck to on every visit. It has the widest variey of dinosaur toys and models that I have ever seen, some of which are even hard to find online.

Carnotaurus

Parasaurolophus

Velociraptor

Stegosaurus

Triceratops

Spinosaurus

Kelenken

Postosauchus

Oviraptor

Deinosuchus

Brachiosaurus

Ankylosaurus
4. Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glenrose, Texas
Address: 1629 Park Rd 59, Glen Rose, TX 76043
Phone: (254) 897-4588
Website (link): http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/dinosaur-valley/
Dinosaur Valley is a State Park that is known for hiking, camping, and of course Early Cretaceous dinosaur tracks. There are about four exposures that guest can touch if you are willing to go into the river (I suggest wading boots). There is a small giftshop and visitor center, with write ups on the history of the site. It would make a nice day trip.

World’s Fair “Brontosaurus” and Tyrannosaurus rex Models

Park Entrance Sign

Dinosaur Tracks in Paluxy River

Dinosaur Tracks in Paluxy River

Dinosaur Tracks in Paluxy River

Paluxy River

Bronze Models in Park Station

Park Discription Label

Park Discription Label
5. Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco, Texas
Address: 6220 Steinbeck Bend Dr, Waco, TX 76708
Phone: (254) 750-7946
Website (link): http://www.nps.gov/waco/index.htm
Another hidden treasure is The Waco Mammoth Site. If you want to know about the prehistroic world after dinosaurs and particularly what it was like in Texas during the last “Ice Age”, this is the stop for you. Did you know Texas once had the largest elephants in Earth’s history-commonly called Columbian Mammoths? This site has a research building built around it and can be toured for only $5.00 per person.

Bull Mammoth skeleton

Covered Excavation Site

Real Mammoth Fossils

Reconstruction of a Columbian Mammoth Bull

Excavation Building

Female Mammoth in Site

Site History Display

Female Mammoth Skull (Cast)

Site Description Display
6. Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas
Address: 2201 N Field St, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 428-5555
Website (link): http://www.perotmuseum.org/
The Perot Museum is located in downtown Dallas, Texas. This museum is is very interactive and covers a wide variety of topics. The hall of Paleontology has a comparison display of modern and fossil predators and prey. An added bonus is the inhouse fossil prepatory labs and staff, which includes famous paleontologist and fossil preparator Myria Perez.

Hall of Paleontology

Hall of Paleontology

Hall of Paleontology

Hall of Gems and Minerals

Perot Museum Building

Hall of Gems and Minerals

Hall of Earth Sciences

Hall of Earth Sciences

Hall of Earth Sciences

Hall of Biology

Hall of Space and Technology

Hall of Space and Technology
7. The Texas Memorial Museum in Austin, Texas
Address: 2400 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78705
Phone: (512) 471-1604
Website (link): http://www.tmm.utexas.edu/
This museum is located in the University of Texas campus in Austin. The three main areas of focus are paleontology, geology and Texas wildlife. The paleontology hall has an open prep lab, often with volunteers, students and sometimes a paleonologist to answer questions.
Note: Please check the website for status, the museum has changed its hours due to Covid-19.

Giant Sloth and Enteledont

Xiphactinus

Quetzalcoatlus

Dimetrodon

Saber Tooth Cat in front of the museum

Petrified Wood

Meteorites

Pliosaur (Marine Reptile)

Ammonites
8. San Angelo State Park Synapsid Tracks near San Angelo, Texas
Address: 362 S, FM 2288, San Angelo, TX 76901
Phone: (325) 949-4757
Website (link): http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/san-angelo/
San Angelo State Park is a great place to hike trails and camp. The Synapsid tracks are not a primary focus in the park. They are also not as clearly accessible as one might think. For clear directions Click Here.



9. Naranjo Museum-Natural History in Lufkin, Texas
Address: 5104 1st St, Lufkin, Texas 75901
Phone: (936) 639-3466
Website (link): http://naranjomuseum.org/
The Naranjo Museum of Natural History has the honor of mbeing in my mother’s hometown of Lufkin, Texas. They have a hall of Paleontology, Minerals, Zoology and Air and Space display. My favorite part was the Paleozoic (before dinosaurs) diaramas!

Nautiloid in the Ordovician Sea

Museum Entrance right on highway 59

Tyrannosaurus rex

Triceratops model and skeleton

Stegosaurus model

Dunkleosteus skull and model
10. Dinosaur World near Glenrose, Texas
Address: 1058 Park Rd 59, Glen Rose, TX 76043
Phone: (254) 898-1526
Website (link): http://www.dinosaurworld.com/
Dinosaur World’s models are not as accurate as The Dinosaur Park near Bastrop, but it is loctaed next to Dinosaur Valley State Park. They also have a wonderful giftshop with fossils and jewelry.
Note: They also have a mineral dig pit for young children. Contact them to check on status due to Covid-19.

Dilophosaurus

Park Gate

Saurosuchus

Maiasaura

Triceratops

Saltasaurus

Euoplocephalus

Sauropelta

Parasaurolophus

Brachiosaurus

Acrocanthosaurus

Spinosaurus
Dinosaur Toy Inaccuracy- What’s Up With That??
Images by: Ms. Corey Green With the exception of our feathered friends, dinosaurs are all but gone today. So what are the ways to connect to these long lost creatures? Well as a child I had three options, museums, media and models. Going to the Houston Museum of...