Exploring Utah’s Prehistoric Museum: Dinosaurs, Fossils, and Family Fun in Price

As part of our Utah Adventure Series (see Part 3: Green River & Goblin Valley for the full story), we took a detour into the really old days — and by old, I mean dinosaur old. Our stop at the Prehistoric Museum at Utah State University Eastern in Price turned out to be one of those unplanned gems that left us amazed, educated, and grinning like kids in a sandbox full of fossils.

A Museum with Serious History

The Prehistoric Museum isn’t just another roadside stop — it’s a full-fledged research museum with roots dating back to 1961. What started as a small collection of fossils from the surrounding San Rafael Swell has grown into an impressive facility that’s now part of the Utah State University system. It’s one of only a handful of accredited museums in Utah, and it showcases everything from Ice Age creatures to ancient human history.

If you’ve ever driven through this part of Utah, you know how rugged and remote it feels — so imagine what it was like when woolly mammoths, giant sloths, and saber-toothed cats roamed these same valleys. The exhibits really put that into perspective.

Dino Heaven (and Beyond)

Walking through the dinosaur hall was like stepping onto the set of Jurassic Park — minus the risk of becoming lunch. Towering skeletons of Allosaurus and Stegosaurus greeted us right at the entrance, and the we were instantly hooked. We also learned that Utah is one of the richest dinosaur fossil regions in the entire world, with discoveries happening all the time in the Morrison Formation nearby.

The museum’s life-size reconstructions were incredible, and you could almost feel the ground shake under these prehistoric giants. The displays also do a great job of explaining how paleontologists piece together bones, footprints, and even fossilized plants to tell the story of Utah’s ancient ecosystems.

Tracing Human Footsteps

Beyond the dinosaurs, the museum dives deep into the region’s early human history. The Archaeology Hall highlights ancient Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan cultures who once called this desert landscape home. Pottery, tools, and rock art give a glimpse into how early people survived in this rugged environment long before RVs, paved roads, or air conditioning.

One of our favorite displays showed petroglyph replicas from nearby Nine Mile Canyon — often called the “World’s Longest Art Gallery.” It made us want to plan another stop there on a future adventure.

Fun for the Whole Family

This isn’t a “look but don’t touch” kind of museum. There were plenty of interactive exhibits that made learning fun. From touching replica bones to exploring a fossil dig pit for kids, the museum made science come alive. Even the adults found themselves lingering over the Ice Age displays and the giant ground sloth skeleton (seriously, that thing was massive).

And in classic TinMan fashion, we somehow managed to turn every new discovery into a family competition — who could find the weirdest fossil or guess which prehistoric creature had the biggest bite. (Spoiler: Allosaurus wins every time.)

Tips for Visiting

• Location: 155 E. Main Street, Price, Utah — right off Highway 6.

• Hours: Typically open 9 AM – 5 PM, but check the website before you go.

• Admission: Affordable and worth every penny (discounts for seniors, students, and families).

• Don’t Miss: The gift shop! It’s full of unique rocks, fossil replicas, and local art that make great souvenirs.

• Fun Fact: Price, Utah was once a major site for coal mining — and many of the museum’s early fossil finds were discovered during mining operations.

Wrapping It Up

The Prehistoric Museum was the perfect mix of education and adventure — a reminder that Utah’s beauty isn’t just in its red rock cliffs and slot canyons, but also in the stories buried beneath them. Whether you’re a family of dinosaur lovers or just need a fun stop between Moab and Salt Lake City, this museum is absolutely worth the detour.

We left with new appreciation for Utah’s ancient past… and maybe a few extra souvenirs that will forever remind us of the day we “dug” into history.