See a Velociraptor Look-Alike, a Baby Ceratopsid Dinosaur, at University of Alberta's Free Museum and Collections
When fall arrives and we start to think about transitioning more of our play, and our adventures, indoors - we need a solid roster of indoor options. One of the best kept secrets in the city happens to be completely free. It’s a collections and museum tucked away in the basement of the Earth Sciences building at University of Albert’s North Campus, the Paleontology Museum lets kids get face-to-face with real fossils, including a brand-new dinosaur exhibit straight out of Alberta's own backyard.
What's on display
In 2024, the museum installed a permanent exhibit of fossils from Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site southeast of Edmonton and one of the richest dinosaur bone beds on the planet. Highlights include a Velociraptor look-alike — a small, feathered raptor relative — and a baby ceratopsid, a young horned, frilled plant-eater related to Triceratops. Intact juvenile ceratopsid fossils are rare finds, making this one of the exhibit's standout specimens.
The rest of the museum is organized as a walk through geologic time, from Earth's earliest life forms to Ice Age mammals, with trilobites, ancient fish, and the armored predator Dunkleosteus along the way. A hands-on table lets kids touch real dinosaur bones, and a QR code at the entrance links to a self-guided scavenger hunt to keep them engaged.
Just down the hallway, the Mineralogy and Petrology Museum adds rocks, gems, and meteorites — over 1,000 specimens, including diamonds — and keeps the same hours, so it's easy to see both in one trip.
Why it works for families
It's free. No tickets, no booking, no membership. You can just walk in with the kids.
It's small. Two compact rooms mean you can comfortably cover both museums in 30 to 60 minutes, which is about the sweet spot for shorter attention spans - and perfect for a little side quest.
It's hands-on. Being able to actually touch a dinosaur bone makes the visit feel real in a way that glass display cases don't.
It's quiet. This isn't a busy attraction, so you'll likely have plenty of room to explore at your own pace without crowds or lineups.
It's indoors, year-round. Perfect for a cold snap, a snowy afternoon, or anytime you need a low-key activity that doesn't involve bundling up to go outside.
Don’t want to leave the house? You can even take a virtual tour of ten labs, collections and museums through University of Alberta.
Good to know before you go
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays — this one's a weekday outing, so it works well for homeschool families, or as a stop during a weekday off school.
Location: Room B-01, Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta North Campus.
Cost: Free.
Parking: There's a paid lot just north of the building (roughly $7/hour), and the campus is accessible by public transit if you'd rather skip parking altogether.
Groups: Visiting with five or more kids? It's worth calling ahead to confirm accessibility, and tours can be arranged by appointment for a more in-depth visit.
Since the museum visit itself is short, it pairs well with another campus stop — grab a hot chocolate nearby, browse the bookstore, or make an afternoon of it with a walk through campus.
For a free, low-effort, high-reward outing this fall and winter, it's hard to beat a real Alberta dinosaur discovery you can see (and even touch) up close.
