Dinosaurs and MOR! Festival

Virtual Fossil Friday

Friday, March 28, 2025
9 - 9:30 a.m.
Free and open to the public
Via Zoom

Love fossils? We do, too! Join Outreach Program Manager Ashley Hall via Zoom on Fridays to dig deep into the evolutionary history of fantastic fossil specimens, hear from a diverse array of paleontologists from across the world, and learn how fossils help us understand the larger picture of life on Earth. Bring your curiosity and questions! This program is geared towards K-12 classes, homeschoolers, and the public.

All Access Paleo Lecture Series

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Museum General Admission Included
Hager Auditorium

Click to Purchase the 1-Day Pass for Saturday

Click to Purchase the 1-Day Pass for Sunday

• Member: $40/youth, $50/adult
• Non-Member: $55/youth, $65/adult
• MSU Student: $40/student

Click to purchase the 2-Day Pass

• Member: $70/youth, $85/adult
• Non-Member: $80/youth, $100/adult
• MSU Student: $70/student

Over two days, 18 renowned paleontologists will present on topics ranging from trilobites to T. rex to Sabre-toothed cats! Each presentation will be 30 minutes long with a Q and A, making it an informative and engaging experience for all attendees. The speakers are subject to change without notice.

Throughout the weekend, there will be multiple opportunities to get books signed, bid on paleontology theme collectibles, fossil casts, unique pieces of paleoart, and more!

2025 Dinosaurs and MOR! All Access Paleo Lecture Series Speakers include but are not limited to:

• Dr. Mark Goodwin, University of California Museum of Paleontology, Emeritus
• Dr. Chris Organ, Montana State University
• Dr. Holly Woodward, Oklahoma State University/Center for Health Studies
• Dr. Sarah Keenan, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• Dr. James Napoli, Stonybrook University
• Dr. Ashley Reynolds, University of Ottawa
• Dr. Jordan Mallon, Canadian Museum of Nature
• Eric Metz, Museum of the Rockies
• Dr. Cathy Whitlock, Montana State University
• Dr. Randy Irmis, Natural History Museum of Utah
• Dr. Christian Sidor, University of Washington
• Dr. Kimi Chappelle, Stonybrook University
• Dr. Sabre Moore, Carter County Museum
• Kathryn Abbott, Science Educator, Drumheller, Alberta, CA
• Ashley Hall, Museum of the Rockies
• Greg Liggett, Bureau of Land Management
• Kallie Moore, Collections Manager, University of Montana
• Dave Strassman, Actor and Host of Paleo Nerds
• Kathryn Abbott, Science Educator

Family Weekend

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 - 30, 2025
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | All Ages
Included with membership/admission

Enjoy paleo-passport activity stations throughout the Siebel Dinosaur Complex and view Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival in the Taylor Planetarium. Some passport stations will have touchable material, microscope stations, and short activities. Step into the world of SUE: The T. rex Experience to uncover the mysteries about the life of this fearsome fossil.

Paleo Passport Station participants may include:

• MSU’s Dead Lizard’s Society
• MOR’s Paleohistology Department
• Montana Dinosaur Trail
• Carter County Museum (Ekalaka)
• Montana Dinosaur Center (Bynum)
• Montana Bureau of Land Management
• Kathryn Abbott- Science Educator
• Idaho Museum of Natural History
• Makoshika State Park
• Rudyard Depot Museum

Collect passport stamps at all stations to receive a Jr. Paleontologist Certificate signed by MOR's Dr. John Scannella upon completion.

Dino Play Workshop (Ages 2-5)

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025
9 – 10 a.m. | Redstart Classroom
Registration is required

• $15/member child, included for member caregiver
• $25 non-member child, $20/non-member caregiver

Click to purchase tickets for March 29

Click to purchase tickets for March 30

Sign your child up for this exciting dinosaur-themed early learning program full of unique prehistoric crafts and activities to captivate the minds of the museum’s youngest paleontologists! Children will dig for buried fossils, work together on giant dinosaur puzzles, and create their own paleoart masterpieces to take home.

To maximize space, we ask that each family limit their adult attendance to one caregiver per child.

Capacity: 16 child participants.

NOTE: Museum general admission for non-members (typically $13/child and $20/adult) is included in workshop pricing, so we hope you will stay and spend your day exploring the museum. Upon arrival, please proceed to the Dinos and MOR! Will Call station, located in the main lobby, to check in before heading to your workshop location.

Prehistoric Palettes Workshop (Ages 6-12)

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Redstart Classroom
Registration is required

• $15/member child, $25/participating member caregiver, included for non-participating member caregiver
• $25/ non-member child, $30/participating non-member caregiver; $20/non-participating non-member caregiver
  

Click to purchase tickets for March 29

Click to purchase tickets for March 30

Explore the prehistoric giants that roamed Montana millions of years ago! Customize your very own glass of paleo punch and follow our simple instructions to complete a sauropod masterpiece.

Children may be dropped off after being signed into the class by caregivers, or they may be accompanied during the class by a caregiver who has paid general admission.

Capacity: 20 participants.

NOTE: Museum general admission for non-members (typically $13/child and $20/adult) is included in workshop pricing, so we hope you will stay and spend your day exploring the museum. Upon arrival, please proceed to the Dinos and MOR! Will Call station, located in the main lobby, to check in before heading to your workshop location. The class cost includes a canvas and all other needed art supplies.

DIY Dinosaur Terrarium Workshop (Ages 13+)

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025
1 – 3 p.m. | Redstart Classroom
Registration is required
$30/member, $45/non-member

Click to purchase tickets for March 29

Click to purchase tickets for March 30

Get ready for a hands-on adventure where all ages 13+ can become junior paleontologists and gardeners! In this interactive program, they will create a dinosaur terrarium by choosing plants, rocks, and tiny dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops. Along the way, they will learn about the Cretaceous period and how plants, rocks, and terrain shaped the world of dinosaurs. Once finished, they will take home their unique terrarium, an imaginative and educational piece of art!

Capacity: 25 participants.

NOTE: Museum general admission for non-members (typically $13/child and $20/adult) is included in workshop pricing, so we hope you will stay and spend your day exploring the museum. Upon arrival, please proceed to the Dinos and MOR! Will Call station, located in the main lobby, to check in before heading to your workshop location. The cost includes all supplies.

Make and Take Fossil Cast Workshop (Ages 13+)

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30, 2025
3 – 4 p.m. | Redstart Classroom
Registration is required
$40/member, $55/non-member

Unleash your inner paleontologist in this hands-on workshop, choose a real fossil to mold, and create a detailed plaster cast with expert guidance. Once finished, take home a unique fossil replica as a keepsake. Whether you are a fossil enthusiast or seeking a fun, creative activity, this workshop is a great way to connect with the past in a new way. Capacity: 25 participants.

Click to purchase tickets for March 29

Click to purchase tickets for March 30

NOTE: Museum general admission for non-members (typically $13/child and $20/adult) is included in workshop pricing, so we hope you will stay and spend your day exploring the museum. Upon arrival, please proceed to the Dinos and MOR! Will Call station, located in the main lobby, to check in before heading to your workshop location. The cost includes all supplies.