Museum of the Rockies

The museum is the fossil repository for a large part of Montana, which matters because the Hell Creek Formation in the east of the state is among the richest late-Cretaceous deposits anywhere. Jack Horner built the collection here over decades and the research done from it changed several assumptions - the Maiasaura nest sites he excavated provided the first strong evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young, and work on growth series argued that several named species were juveniles of others. The collection holds more Tyrannosaurus specimens than anywhere. Beyond the fossils there is a planetarium, a Montana history wing and a living-history farm open in summer.

What you actually see

• A very large Montana fossil collection - much of it from Hell Creek.
• The Maiasaura nesting evidence - which changed thinking on parental care.
• Multiple Tyrannosaurus specimens - more than any other institution holds.
• A planetarium and history wing - alongside the palaeontology.

When to go

Year round; the outdoor farm runs in summer. Three hours.

Honest expectations

Fossil halls are the strength; other wings are more local in interest. Bozeman is expensive and busy in summer. The living-history farm is seasonal. Special exhibitions cost extra.

Nearby

Yellowstone's north entrance is about ninety minutes south.