Ever since several busloads of atheists, agnostics, scientists and such folk descended on Ken Ham’s creation museum in Kentucky, I’ve been reminiscing about my trip last year to the inconsequentially tiny Big Valley Creation Science Museum in Big Valley, Alberta and to the the giant and very impressive Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller (about a half hour drive from its comedic rival).
Royal Tyrrell Museum
Below: The competition
You can read about some of the adventures of the intrepid explorers of anti-intellectual dipwittery to the rather larger Church of Almighty Pseudo-Science in Kentucky and the impact they had on its owner and chief scientist carnival pitchman at PZ Myer’s Pharyngula site.
Ken Ham is apparently not too happy about taking the entrance fee from a few hundred disbelievers! I will post some of my Big Valley pics in a while, but right now, I thought I would post my Royal Tyrrell photos.
The RTM holds art contests for school kids every year, and some entries from the younger kids are wonderful. This was one of the winning entries from an older student. No idea what grade and I never recorded the person’s name. Well done, anyway!
The RTM is a kid friendly place, but really young people might be a bit nervous about some parts of it. When we went one little guy (about 3 years old), was terrified of the huge T. Rex that dominates the first gallery. There are a few displays of really big real spiders. There is a glass floor covering a display of trilobytes, or tritobites, or what ever they were that skuttled across ancient sea floors. Thanks to Mary for carrying me across so the wouldn’t get me.
Go here to check out the museum’s educational programs and here for an interactive map of the place.
Here is a map of the Drumheller Valley region.
Click for the dinosaur size version.
Drumheller is a small town, but it does a good job catering to dinosaur hunters, hikers, and general passers through. Lots to see and loads of camping and all sorts. It is not in Kentucky.
I‘ve started sorting through my photos that have been all jumbled up in various folders after a year of switching from one computer to another. Here are a few of my favourites, all from the Royal Tyrrell. The trip was loads of fun, largely due to the company, you know who you are!
Apologies for being a lousy photographer but some of them turned out ok. Click on the images for larger versions, they should open in a new window. Feel free to post them elsewhere if you like.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any information about what is in some of these photos, so use your imagination as far as what sortosaurus or whatever might be depicted. If you know, and want to put in a comment, I’d be grateful. I’m including the photo name for ease of reference for the ones you might be able to help out with.
click to make pic bigger
The view from the observation point near the entrance to the RTM. The museum is a short way out of Drumheller in Alberta’s badlands. Flat prairie suddenly falls away into these massive gorges. There are strange rock formation called hoodoos carved by erosion. I remember climbing around them when I was a kid.
More of the same. There are trails to hike in there, and the RTM sometimes has excursions to dinosaur sites and the like. One does not want to get lost in there, though.
Pretty much the first thing one meets (or that meats you) in the first gallery. I think it is T.Rex but might be an Albertosaurus or Stephen Harper? #046. Click the pic for the bigger version and you will know why little kids are afraid of it.
“All you can eat tourists! I love this place!” Photo #o47.
#048. A needaorthodontosaurus. Presumably with bad breath.
#055. Presumably not a vegan. Bit of an airhead.
#050. Little goof stole my keys to the museum.
#049. His name is Barney, and he loves you. Looks good in “large” size…
#058 throws his arms up in despair after being confronted for the 1,000th time by people who got lost on their way to Big Valley.
“NO! I DID NOT DIE IN SOME STUPID FLOOD!
- http://thinkingshop.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/all-sorts-061.jpg
The remains of the rib special Dr. Jim enjoyed in the cafeteria
#062. A dinosaur of very small brain.
#064. Dimetrodon. Proof of how science and religion are both true. Obviously the big fin or sail or whatever the heck it is evolved to keep people from riding the animal.
You would have thought instead of sails these two dimetrodons (or one twentycentodon?) might have wanted umbrellas if they were out in the sun. Would have helped in the rain, too.
Excuse me, would you mind going to the cafeteria and picking me up a salad? (#067)
Well, that is all I can find for now. Stay tuned, because I did find my Big Valley pics!
Technorati Tags: Royal+Tyrrell, Creation+Museum, creationism, Ken+Ham, Phyrangula, Big+Valley+Alberta, Drumheller+Alberta, bad+lands, dinosaur, evolution, fossil, T+Rex, tyrannosaurus, creationsim, dimetrodon, raptor, sauropad
- http://thinkingshop.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/all-sorts-061.jpg
#062. A dinosaur of very small brain. 
August 13, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Where’s the photos of paleontologists sticking feathers on the exhibits? Repainting T Rex to look like an ugly giant vulture?
Where are the autograph hunters who saw Jurassic Parks 1-3 and want to meet their favorite stars? Are the two dimetrodons saying, “Have you heard who they are going to move to put in the Stan Winston Memorial exhibit?”
August 13, 2009 at 1:40 pm
There was a big sale at the Canadian Tire store the day I went. I guess they were all down there picking up some bargains.
August 15, 2009 at 12:29 am
I clicked on the photo that said: “click to make it bigger”. Given Dr. Jim was the source, I must have misinterpreted what he meant: still, you do get a much bigger picture of dinosaur! And, that’s cool.
August 15, 2009 at 12:53 am
Dimetrodon preceded Nickleback in Alberta by a few million years. So, it seems to me that the currency is just a bit out of whack, nevermind the fact that most of us would prefer the call of the lonely Dimetrodon (assuming they had one, and why not, even Nickleback does) to any of the Nickleback crew. We had the Quarterback with Flutie, but still got no real change, so what to do? There are obvious further puns with higher currencies, but discretion really is the better part of valour here (and, besides, who doesn’t wish Nickleback went the way of Dimetrodon?) What does this have to do with Dr. Jim’s earnest post? Nothing. And all the better for it.
August 15, 2009 at 1:15 am
Loonies shall be shown no quarter.
October 7, 2009 at 2:53 am
We found an uniqe fossil in oen of pool around mountain Selawah Aceh Indonesia. But we can not identify what animal it is. Would you help me?
October 7, 2009 at 12:36 pm
No one I know can do that, you would have to talk to some real paleontologists.