Guided Bus Tours
Length of Program: 45-60 minutes round trip
Times: Buses leave once per hour (Labor Day to Memorial Day) or every 20 minutes (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Age Appropriateness: Fun for all ages
Pick Up Location: In front of the Gift Shop in the Main Visitor Center complex
Fee: $11/adult (12+), $8/youth (3-11), two years and under are free. Includes bus tour and admission to our indoor exhibit hall, Trek Through Time. All tickets are purchased in the Gift Shop.
Hop On / Hop Off Shuttle
Times: The Shuttle leaves continuously from 9:30am – 4:00pm daily. Starting in October, the Shuttle will only run Saturday and Sunday.
In December and early January, the Shuttle will run on December 21-22, December 27-29 and Janurary 3-5.
Age Appropriateness: Fun for all ages
Pick Up Location: In front of the Gift Shop in the Main Visitor Center complex
Fee: $6/adult (12+), $4/youth (3-11), two years and under are free. Includes admission to our indoor exhibit hall, Trek Through Time. Tickets can be purchased in the Gift Shop or online.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
WHAT will I see on a guided bus tour?
Guided bus tours feature stops at the Bones Bed, the Brontosaur Bulges, and the Dinosaur Track site. You will experience a brief talk at each site and see and touch the fossils.
Your tour includes a 45-60 minute educational experience typically enjoyed most by our guests ages five and up. Many younger guests also enjoy placing their hands in the dinosaur tracks and touching dinosaur bones on our tours. At the Visitor Center, they can also explore our Backyard Bones: Cretaceous Crime Scene dig site and the Seaway Fossil Box.
Though our public tour buses are not available to school groups or other large tour groups, you can coordinate a scheduled tour for your group on weekdays. Visit this link for more information.
WHEN can I get on a guided bus tour?
Dinosaur Ridge’s tours operate at different times depending upon the season. Use the chart below for information on our hours of operation and tour departure options.
| Visitor Center Grounds and Gift Shop Hours | Trek Through Time exhibit hall | Public Tour Departures | |
| Memorial Day to Labor Day | 10am-4pm, every 20 minutes | ||
| Labor Day to Memorial Day | 10am-3pm, once an hour or by demand | ||
| May through October | 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday |
9:30am-4:30pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-4:30pm, Sunday |
|
| November through April | 9am-4pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday |
9:30am-3:30pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-3:30pm, Sunday |
HOW do I get on a public bus tour?
When you arrive, head to our gift shop to purchase bus tickets. Then find your way to our bus stop 15 minutes before the departure time stated on your ticket. If you miss your scheduled departure, return to the gift shop to receive a new time.
To be guaranteed a seat on a bus tours, you should arrive no later than 3:30 pm (summer) and 2:30 pm (winter). On rare occasions, the 3:30/2:30 pm deadline may be changed without notice due to extreme weather or other unusual circumstances.
Can my whole group ride the same bus?
Our buses seat 14 people. We aim to accommodate large groups (7 or more) and can usually seat the whole group on the same bus. However, in some circumstances this may not be possible. To guarantee your group is together, consider reserving a scheduled group tour.
Can I walk?
If you decide to walk the Dinosaur Ridge Trail from the Dinosaur Bone Site back to the Visitor Center, (about a 1.5-mile hike that’s mostly downhill), your driver can give you information on the trip to the Bone Site and can get you started on your hike by pointing out the Dinosaur Bones and Brontosaur Bulges before you continue on your own.
Can I take a self-guided tour?
Self-guided visitation is a popular way for families and small groups to explore the features at Dinosaur Ridge and Triceratops Trail. Admission to the Dinosaur Ridge Trail, Triceratops Trail (located in Golden, CO), and the Main Visitor Center Gift Shop is free of charge. The Guided Bus Tour and Trek Through Time Exhibit Hall require a paid ticket. There are more than fifteen interpretive sites on Dinosaur Ridge Trail and six interpretive sites along Triceratops Trail that you may visit.
If you are bringing a group of 15 or fewer for a self-guided tour, you do not need to notify us ahead of time. For larger groups, please notify us of your plans to visit at least one week in advance by emailing tours@dinoridge.org.
Dinosaur Ridge and Triceratops Trail are open from sun-up to sun-down. Stop in to our Main Visitor Center Gift Shop or the Discovery Center to pick up a free map for your self-guided walking tour. Click here for hours or here for more information about Dinosaur Ridge Trail and Triceratops Trail. For self-guided tours of Dinosaur Ridge, please park at the main Visitor Center located at 16831 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, CO, 80465, unless you are instructed otherwise.
| WALKING DISTANCES AT DINOSUAR RIDGE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from Main Visitor Center Gift Shop (rounded to nearest .1 mile) | Distance from Main Visitor Center Gift Shop (rounded to nearest 0.1 km) | Distance from East Gate [Entrance to closed section of Alameda Pkwy] (rounded to nearest .1 mile) | Distance from East Gate [Entrance to closed section of Alameda Pkwy] (rounded to nearest 0.1 km) | |
| VC Gift Shop Building | 0 | 0 | -0.03 | -0.4 |
| Exit to Alameda | 0.1 | 0.1 | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| East Gate | 0.3 | 0.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Track Site | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| East Overlook | 1 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| West Overlook | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Brontosaur Bulges | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Bones Bed | 1.3 | 2 | 1 | 1.6 |
| West Gate | 1.4 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| DC Gift Shop Building | 1.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 2 |
Anything else I should know?
You can enjoy two museums for one low price. Click here to learn about the Morrison Dino Pass. Visit both museums for one low price of $19/adult, $14/youth. Buy your joint Dino Pass at Dinosaur Ridge, and you will have 10 days to redeem it for a visit at Morrison Natural History Museum, too.
If you belong to an educational or research institution and want to take a self-guided tour of Dinosaur Ridge in a vehicle (bus or otherwise), please call at least one week ahead to make reservations. We cannot always guarantee vehicle access to the Ridge but will make every attempt possible to allow access. If we cannot allow your vehicle on the Ridge, then your institutional vehicle will still be able to park outside Dinosaur Ridge’s gate and your group may walk on Dinosaur Ridge.
