Museum of the Rockies Reviews

This is one of the most impressive museums I’ve ever been to - and growing up in the New York City area, this is saying a lot. In fact, the last time I saw such an incredible dinosaur exhibit was at the Museum of Natural History in NYC.
There is a comprehensive collection of dinosaur bones here - unbeknownst to me, Montana is home to some of the worlds highest concentration of dinosaur bones.
The galleries that focused on Native America life/culture were fantastic replete with impressive art, clothing and wares. The early European settlers (circa 19th century) gallery gave me a feel for what life was like during those early days and how rapid changes continued into the 20th century.
I was lucky to have been here for the last days of the fascinating exhibit on Genghis Khan. The vast collection of items relating to Khan and the areas in/around Central Asia was superb. I felt I got a real education here.
With plenty of interactive exhibits, films and live performances both kids and adults will find enjoyment, engagement and entertainment throughout the museum.

We've all grown up with images of dinosaurs and other exotic, extinct critters; such that it's easy to think of them as "place-less". But in fact, the Northern Rockies is where much of the archeological action has been, at least for the iconic lizards. The museum does a great job of "localizing" the findings and placing them in the context of the local geological history. I also enjoyed being walked through many examples of forensic reasoning, such as whether dinosaurs were warm-blooded, their behavioral patterns and through the "revision" of our understanding of growth series or animal posture.
Minor negatives included the dustiness of certain display cases (though I did spot a staffer dusting) and the occasional misspellings and grammatical errors in the captions, which are always a distraction (such as it's/its, laying/lying etc.).
An excellent use of two hours overall! I only had the briefest time to walk through the Gengis Khan temporary exhibit, but it looked excellent.

An experience to be sure. It was just my wife and myself, but we were surrounded by students, children and Sr citizens....and all were fully engaged. This was a complete sensory experience that was wonderful to experience. As a teacher in North Idaho, I wish I were closer.

Definitely worth a visit if you're in Bozeman. Excellent dinosaur exhibit and many other historic and cultural displays. We loved the bronze statue of "Mike" the T-rex just outside the front door.

Locals and tourists alike should visit the museum as often as they can. Always new stuff to see. Adults and kids, something for everyone.

This is a really great museum with a tremendous collection of dinosaur fossils. Prefect for kids (young and old). They have more than dinosaurs here but the stars of the show are the dinosaurs.

There is a planetarium which is good (not great). (They really need to update the shows.)

The museum itself is wonderful but doesn't really flow all that well. It is an out and back trip which is kind of odd for a museum. Also, they need to invest in some non-glare glass in the dinosaur exhibit. It is difficult to take photos with the type of lighting they employ and the glare from the glass around some of the exhibits. (These are my minor critiques...)

I would def visit again if I was in the area. And it is definitely worth a visit if you have children.

Gingus Khan part of the museum was very informative. We really enjoyed an there is not much else to do in Bozeman if you are not into the outdoor activities.

Nice museum about the prehistoric area. They got lots of very big dinosaur figures, bones, and lots of history in the museum. There’s also a section about the former inadvertence of the area of the Cowboys pilgrims that’s worse.

It's not just the depth and breadth of the collection of dinosaur remains, although the collection is superb. The dinosaur section is well-organized, with informative explanations of the exhibits. No matter how much you think you know about paleontology, you'll learn something if you take your time. Can be covered in 90 minutes. The non-dinosaur exhibits are nothing special.

I had a ton of fun.it was Awesome. The staff was so friendly. My family absolutely loved it. The place was super clean and well kept

The Dinosaurs
Went last year, return this year with grandchildren. They were really impressed. This visit a Viking exhibit was on display. A nice amount of information laid out well.

Better than I expected. Very well put together. Interesting displays about a wide variety of subjects. Lots of free parking too.

Museum that shows the history of the dinosaurs well. The fossils and excavations are impressive. Many new things learned in this museum and well worth a visit. I thought it was a bit on the small side, so the entrance fee that is asked is a bit hefty for the time you spend there.

Anyone seriously interested in history of dinosaurs should not miss this opportunity. Museum offers other excellent displays on Native American Indians also and various other displays change from time to time. Well worth every penny.

The Museum of the Rockies is a great place to spend a rainy cold afternoon in Bozeman. There were several great exhibits from reptiles, history of Montana, and dinosaurs and we enjoyed them all. They required masks which was great, but many other people visiting the museum had absolutely no respect for maintaining 6 feet. My few recommendations would be to have staff throughout the museum gently encouraging people to give others space, have more hand sanitizer stations especially in the reptile area where there is so much stuff to touch and explore, and to make it cooler in the museum, it was stifling hot, especially while wearing masks. Overall we would absolutely recommend this if you have a few hours to kill in Bozeman.

Despite COVID regulations, the museum is very enjoyable, informative and definitely a place to return back to because there’s so much to see! The Japanese woodblock prints’ exhibit gave insight to Japanese culture in a comprehensive yet concise way; Montana early years exhibit provided background to visitors and residents alike; and the Indigenous people’s exhibit is necessary in acknowledging the very grounds the museum sits on! Check it out! Adult, kids or a group. Highly recommended on a rainy/snowy day!

Dinosaur exhibit best ever seen, with excellent state history section also. Temporary G.Kahn exhibit superb. Museum could interest young children to seniors. Great gift shop too. Easy to find and on-site parking. Picnic area available outside.

The Museum offers everything from paleontology (with lots of local Montana dinosaur discoveries), to geology, to natural history. The old farmhouse and out-buildings with their period clad interpreters was a delight. There are even multiple planetarium shows. Lots to see and do.

Worth the drive from Spokane!! My kids, 6 & 11, loved both the dinosaurs & planetarium. We were first impressed by the outgoing & friendly staff @ the front counter who ended up helping us make some great, local eats choices for lunch & dinner. My kids also loved the Yellowstone 'experience' upstairs. Reasonably priced & totally worth it!!

This is a great museum for all ages. The kids will love it too. They have a remarkable collection of dinosaur fossils and with excellent explanation of the exhibits. We didn’t get a chance to enjoy the planetarium I guess we will just have to come back.

This place is a dream come true for those that love dinosaurs. My 8 and 11 year boys spent hours here looking at the various fossils. A must for all dinosaur lovers!!

Fun place to visit for families. The dinosaure exhibit is amazing! Museum is easy to get to. There is plenty of parking. The offer hourly planétarium show included with the ticket price. Well worth the time.

This was a super cool place to visit while we were in Montana. We had no idea there were so many dinosaur fossils found here.

We were overwhelmed by the size and extensive exhibits. The dinosaur exhibit is top notch. There is also a planetarium.

We visited Museum of the Rockies as a side trip to Yellowstone. It was our first time there and it was well worth the 90 minute drive from West Yellowstone.

Because we are members at an associated museum, there was no entry cost. If you look on the Museum of the Rockies website, it will give you a link to find associated museums that they will honor membership for. As we entered the museum, it didn’t seem that overwhelming or amazing. We walked through the displays on mythical beasts and then there was an interactive display on Montana history. There was a nice section on the Native American culture in the area. The real draw for us was the dinosaur fossil display. The fossils are amazing. So many of them come from Montana, which adds to the interest level. One part of the display had four different Tyrannosaurus Rex skulls. There is a great display of Triceratops fossils from juvenile to adult. This was the area we spent a vast majority of our time at the museum and it was so worth it. I highly recommend a visit to the Museum of the Rockies, even if you make the drive up from West Yellowstone. It is a beautiful drive and combined with lunch afterwards makes for a great day out of the park. This is one of the most amazing museums I have ever visited, and I hope to return in the future.

What a fabulous museum, especially if you’re into dinosaurs.

I checked out their extensive collection of fossils that were discovered in Montana, including a T-Rex. It’s not as large as the Field Museum in Chicago, I think it’s the perfect size. The Field can be overwhelming.

They have more than just fossils, they’re just the highlight. They also have stuff on Montana history as well.

I caught a show at the planetarium about what it would take to launch a manned mission to Marsch and that was enjoyable.

Dinosaur Fossils are the headline attraction, but this museum offers so much more. There are sections devoted to the history of the Native American tribes that inhabited this part of the country.

Other exhibits explore the various means of transportation that people in this region used including covered wagons and cargo wagons, but also the role played by the automobile and airplanes.

One section explores the role of the military which served as a buffer between the Native Americans and the settlers.

Trappers and traders were an important part of the early history of this area. Exhibits show the equipment used by the trappers and the trade goods offered to the Native Americans.

The role played by firearms can not be overlooked and the museum has a large collection of weapons that lets you see how they evolved over the years.

Finally, there is the Planetarium. We almost skipped it because we would have to wait about 30 minutes for the next show, but we found it to be both educational and entertaining.

6 stars! We go to museums all over the world and sometimes they’re more geared only to children with not much for adults. I’ve never seen so many dinosaurs in one place. Sue the T-Rex is 90% complete! And all the Triceratops and more T-Rex and Allosaurus’s. We started with the planetarium show for 25 minutes that was relaxing and educational without being over the top with too much info. Then saw the dinosaurs. There’s life in Montana exhibits from the past including old cars and more. I love geology and there was some included. Outside there’s an old house furnished as the homesteaders would have lived. There were students dressed the part. This museum is no joke! Highly recommend this experience especially if you’re interested in dinosaurs. Adding only a few pix. Come and see!

I have been to several museums with really nice dinosaur collection but this one was by far the best. The collection of tyrannosaurus and triceratops was enough by itself but all the other specimens were great too! I strongly recommend going here. You will be hard pressed to find a better t-rex collection anywhere else.

So much fun! Spend about 3 hours here. Learned a lot. Such a unique museum. So educational and really inspired you to want to learn more about Montana and dinosaurs. So well done.

We visited this during our stay in Bozeman. They have a very good dinosaur exhibit there. The planetarium presentation on the stars is very good and very informative. Unfortunately it snowed or was cloudy at night do we could not enjoy looking at the sky using what we learned. Have Indian and Western themed exhibits. Figure about 2 hours for a visit if also seeing a presentation. Only odd thing was the exhibit does not wrap around to the beginning but dead ends so you need to retrace your steps.

We were in Bozeman prior to meeting several other couples for a grand tour of the National Parks in Montana and Wyoming. We decided to visit this museum to see the highly rated fossil displays and were not disappointed. These fossils were found in Montana. This is where the dinosaurs used to roam. Excellent displays including the interpretive displays. We spent several hours here. Would highly recommend, especially if you are traveling with children or grandchildren.

We stopped in to see the dinosaur skeletons! Very impressive! Active archeological students can be seen working in a lab setting as well. Lots of specimens and replicas. Lots of ‘hands on’. Very nice collection of early Montana settlers & resident exhibits & Donations on display. At the time of our visit, they were revamping some of the Native American artifacts so only a few were on display, but features beautiful beaded gloves & gauntlets, and one feathered headdress.
Will be back when out there next!

We were looking for an outing that was indoors due to high winds. Dinosaur exhibit was fantastic! We spent a few hours - most of it in the dinosaur exhibit. The others were interesting as well. Great way to spend a half day.

We stopped off at The Museum of the Rockies during our epic road trip across Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Montana. While I'd been many times while a student at MSU, my wife had never been and I really wanted to share the place with her.

That said, my memories of the museum were a bit over-glorified. At $18 USD a pop, we were both pretty underwhelmed. Especially compared with institutions we've visited together like the Royal BC Museum in Victoria where $5 CAD gets you a whole lot more.

I'm not suggesting that you not visit this museum. For Montana, you won't do much better. Just don't expect too much, yeah?

If you’re a geology or paleontology nerd, this is your spot. Really well done exhibits and fascinating to try to wrap your head around how old this stuff is.

We only spent about 90 minutes at the museum as we had to catch a flight. I could have easily spent three hours. They have a large variety of displays on subjects including dinosaurs, geology, Indians, European settlers, pioneer homes and tools, old autos, carriages, etc. They also had a temporary Viking display. The Tee shirts are excellent. I got one with a T-Rex on it.

I would go back 😃

Have looked forward to visiting the dinosaurs. An amazing display of the local area geological history. Worth the time and money.

One of the best non-art museums ever visited by Cherry Wonderdog. An outstanding collection and presentation of dinosaur bones and nearly complete skeletons. Good signage and explanations. Sadly, the popular “Sue” T-Rex is overrated, because she’s not even authentic. The real bones are traveling elsewhere in the country. A much better touring dinosaur was on display in an adjacent room along with sea creatures, dinosaur eggs, wholly mammoths, and everything in-between.

We also thoroughly enjoyed the living farm next door with characters appropriately dressed, maintaining a historic home from the previous owners from the late 19th. The whole area, inside and out, was beautiful.

The dinosaur collection is probably unrivaled in breadth and depth. No wonder in Montana. Quality of presentation ok but not as good as eg. in Houston or New York. Lots of small children in the museum. Overall definitely worth a visit.

This is a small museum with a little bit of everything from fossils, Indian culture, dinosaurs, carriages. Ample parking and an excellent opportunity for family fun with some very good displays and educational. You tour on your own in a walk through.

We had a wonderful time at the Museum of the Rockies. This is a very nice, out-of-the-way museum. I had never heard of it advertised, but my family lives near Bozeman and we went to the museum during a family visit. It has some remarkable exhibitions and is very family friendly. They have a great gift shop with gifts for adults as well as children. I strongly recommend a visit to the Museum of the Rockies anytime you are in the area. It is on the campus of Montana State University. Very much worth your time!

this museum was first class and we were so surprised of the number of real dinosaur bones exhibited. A Must!!

Well it was really what I expected ... although I don't know what I expected.
The museum focusses on prehistoric times and the development of the Rockies through the Millennia from shallow sea to mountain range.
It's pretty interesting, and there are lots of skeletal and other remants to marvel at.
So it's great if you are into natural History, but not much fun, if you are not.

Excellent collection of bones and rocks. Serious - this is a great museum. There is a lot to learn. Pleasantly surprised.

The museum was nice, small and located on the campus of MSU, I loved seeing the Dinosaur attractions and comparable references. When I came to almost the end, I became sad due to the Indian exhibition. There was a piece of the exhibit that says the Indians freely left Yellowstone when in fact they didn’t want to. There are so many things in history that are suppressed and we would hope they would tell the truth. The government saw the Indians as a threat to tourism and needed to get them off the land when they wanted to promote the park. The Indians were forced off the land and the government took the land which was not theirs to take. The exhibition States: “even with the loss of land and the Buffalo, Indian cultures have not vanished. Instead they responded to new economic and social conditions....to keep traditional values meaningful and alive amidst the devastation caused by alcohol and unemployment”. It started from the lands being taken which were not anyone else’s to take. Alcohol and unemployment could be derived from taking their purpose in life. Additionally there is an exhibition of the different tribes that are all over Montana and it shows very large gaps in between the tribes. Although only 4% of Yellowstone is in Montana, you can get an idea of how close the tribes backed up to others with what I’m about to say. The Crows, the Blackfeet, the Bannocks, and the Shoshones were the tribes located in Yellowstone. The Tukudika were the last standing tribe in the park until they were forced out as well due to increased Tourism. The tribes in Montana were all over Montana as well and there were actually no voids in land per the map in the museum. I give it 5 stars because it’s not the museum that is wrong, it’s the research and what is shared with the public.

Great stop to visit! Lots to learn about and fun things to see for a 6 year old. Dark Matter show in the planetarium was a bonus! Native American section as well as covered wagon and early automobile section. Masks required and available for purchase.

The museum was perfect sized to spend an afternoon and see everything. Great for kids and adults. Really fantastic and friendly staff! Super cool, definitely a little scary to see how big they are and get to see so much, so close up. Very well laid out museum, all the children’s activities were clean and intact.

This museum was a wonderful experience. The dinosaur exhibition was phenomenal. We lucked out and got to see the Genghis Khan exhibit, it was a real treat.

I have been to a lot of museums like this, where history and natural history meet, but I have never seen as many fossils as I saw at the Museum of the Rockies. I also learned a ton about dinosaurs, their evolution and the uniqueness of the species found only in Montana and the rest of the Rockies. I spent about a hour wandering around, which is long time for me, since I usually power through most museums. But again, there was a lot to see. They also have exhibits about Yellowstone and Native Americans as well as local history. Really fascinating. I was also note there were a ton of families visiting, since it was a Sunday and what kid (or adult) doesn’t love dinosaurs.

Kids and adults alike are just amazed by the number of bones that have been found in that area. The man in the research/study room of the museum was very nice to come out and speak to visitors. He was talking and explaining what he was doing to an interested family. Very kind of him to take the time.

A absolutely loved this museum. Spent hours touring the Paleontological exhibits. Loved the trike displays as the T rex skulls. the planetarium was excellent also. The only weak point in the place was the gift shop which lacked variety and items about the museum.

I really enjoy museums with dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. My daughter, grandson, and I stayed in Bozeman just so we could go to the museum. The Museum of the Rockies was absolutely great! We now follow it on Facebook and will definitely plan another visit!

For what we paid it was a disappointment. Suggest you lower the admission fee. The museum is better suited for school children and not adults.

If you are in to dinosaurs you must go to this museum. They had many fully reconstructed skeletons and a large number of bones and egg nests. Also includes some good exhibit on history of the area.

It would have been great if we were into dinosaurs. We were looking forward to seeing the American Indian exhibit. It was not available so that was very disappointing to us. It was a beautiful building. Right now I would say this is a good place to bring children. We did look at some of the early American settler exhibit and that was interesting to us.

We went with two three year olds and a two year old who love dinosaurs. The large complete skeletons are impressive and they loved those. However, the entire museum is a very dated, overpriced, badly organized (in terms of exhibits) and disappointing experience. It needs a huge overhaul, it’s dark and dingy, badly lit (you can’t read info without your own shadow covering the information) kids can’t see or read the information as it’s all tilted upwards and not at kid height. Anything interactive is a bit strange and dated and the education value is lost. Very bizarre cheaply done exhibit on mythical creatures opens the museum. A very dated and sad playroom upstairs except for the little cabin interior. We were alerted to a screening happening in the planetarium (an extra cost) but when we asked if it was suitable for children we were told not really, it’s best for adults. This was all a good way to kill some time by walking through but this is not a museum experience I’d recommend.

I used to live in Bozeman and would only go to it rarely. But now that I’ve moved away I plan a visit every time I’m in Bozeman. The staff is wonderful and the exhibits keep getting better and better. And being a Smithsonian partner they bring in beyond world class exhibits.
Put this on your Do Not Miss List!!

My grandkids were excited to visit this highly regarded museum. But, the reality is the crowd inside was so overwhelming, we ended up leaving after a short stay because it was virtually impossible to see, experience, and read about all the displays. The line to purchase tickets literally extended outside the doors for several hours of the day. I would strongly advise researching when to visit to avoid these terrible crowds.

the T-Rex skeleton in front and inside, along with the other T-Rex skulls, next to the Triceratops and others gives you a different perspective on how big these dinosaurs were in relation to us humans...unbelievable displays, their descriptions on placards... they had a good series above the original inhabitants displayed the tribes, clothing, quilts... also history of Montana, wagons, homes a hundred yes ago, weapons ,motor vehicles...great gift shop... great job on COVID-19 monitoring as well... loved this place

Great museum if you like dinosaurs. They have a lot of fossils and complete mounted skeleton of a T-Rex and others here. They also have shows on stars and space that I didn't get to see do to time. But looked very interesting. I'll have to go back and see them.
They also have a working Living History Farm exhibit. THE TINSLEY HOUSE. In 1989 the house was moved from Willow Creek. MT in one piece and restored to its original 1890s condition.
During the summer months, this exhibit is busy with gardeners tending the garden, women cooking the noontime meal and the blacksmith creating ironworks with the coal fire forge.

Half of the exhibits closed. One way in and out of the only functional exhibit so you had to backtrack. Museum opens at 9 and Planetarium opens at noon. We were told we could go do something else and come back. We left before the gift shop even opened.

One of the most interesting museums ever. I learned so much about dinosaurs ect. Very welcoming and very friendly workers.

This museum has a T-Rex, a large dinosaur exhibit area, a Yellowstone exhibit area, a Viking exhibit area & more. I'm glad we came here, but the $16.50 adult admission fee for adults is pricy. Also the web site states that most people spend 4 hours here. What do they do? My wife & I looked at everything in a little under 1 1/2 hours.

If you like dinosaurs then you have to see this. The T-Rex and all the T-rex Skulls are terrific! Planetarium was good, but not a show stopper

We had a blast at this museum! So many amazing fossils, the planetarium had kid friendly shows, the gift shop had a big variety of items for decent prices. Bathrooms were clean. Covid protocols were in place which meant the kids area was closed and you couldn’t touch anything, but it was super fun nonetheless. They have several wheelchairs available and an elevator for accessibility.

Great Museum with a huge collection of dinosaur bones. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend this Museum to anyone that is in the area. Thank you!

This was a fun Museum to kill some time. Our kids, like others I believe, didn’t care about the content of the Museum, they just wanted to run around and see everything. The kids really liked the dinosaur area and the exhibit on how people lived in different times. We spent an hour at this museum, but if you get to watch a show in the planetarium or take your time reading the plaques then you could easily spend 2-3 hour there. We went on a Monday in June at 3pm. Google said it was busier than usual, but it didn’t feel that crowded to us.

Got to the planetarium show exactly on the hour and they would not let us in. The doors were locked. The guy who sold me the tickets never told us that would happen. Waste of $20 as we can’t go to the next show. Not good customer service at all.

Way more to see here. Better than the Smithsonian. There’s also history about Native Americans to be learned here as well. I highly recommend visiting here if you get the chance.

Everyone said to visit the Museum of the Rockies and they were right. They had an impressive number of fossils and dinosaur bones. Could watch staff actually working on fossils and they will answer questions. Plus there was a fascinating exhibit about Native Americans. Didn't make it to the planetarium as it was really crowded. Lots of stuff in the gift shop but a bit pricey. Was too tired to look at their outdoor exhibit. Plus it was about 90 degrees that day. The only drawback was some of the young men working in the gift shop and the ticket area were a bit condescending.

Great place to stop in Bozeman if it’s raining and cold outside. We loved the dinosaur exhibit and learning about the native history.

Outstanding bones and traveling shows and gift shop is OK. Also a planetarium and some nice old stuff like grandma had.

We had a few hours before our flight home so decided to take an Uber from the airport and head to the Museum of the Rockies. We were so glad we did. The dinosaur display was unbelievable! We highly recommend a stop here if you are in Bozeman!

The amount of actual bones they have and used to show full life size models was fabulous!

The staff was very friendly and the layout of the museum was easy to navigate. Everyone we interacted with was wonderful and knowledgeable and took the time to explain items in easy to understand ways.

The skeleton room is set up so that you can even see the life cycle of different types of dinosaurs and the size from egg to adults. AMAZING!

Highly recommend for everyone in the family! Don’t forget to visit the Tinsley House Farm next door and see a working farm restored to its original 1890 condition. Included in price to museum.

The museum has a planetarium and shows on the hour. They had 3 shows that go starting at 10a and the repeat in the afternoon.

Unforgettable experience to gain a better understanding of how humongous these beasts were.

In town for a concert and spent a rainy day at the museum. The dinosaur exhibit is amazing and the Ghengis Khan traveling exhibition is great.

The dinosaur collection is wonderful and the atmosphere is awesome! There are exhibits for Yellowstone history and Native America history also.

Well I am used to large museums, like the field museum in Chicago or the museum of natural history in New York, Museum of the Rockies is an awesome small museum. Everything feels much more approachable and relatable. Admission is not cheap, so plan on spending a couple of hours to get your moneys worth.

Went to a lecture earlier this month, and a theater production this weekend. Baffled why they didn't use their theater for the play, I couldn't see the actors and had to strain my neck the entire time.

Excellent! The staff was top notch, very knowledgeable & informative. The exhibits had a little of everything. Very cool.

Very well put together exhibits on the history of the area and the Native Americans who lived there. We especially enjoyed the dinosaur exhibits. So many different kinds of triceratops!!

This museum was just incredible! It was a very manageable size; we covered the entire museum in an hour and a half. And what an interesting and informative hour and a half it was. The exhibits on the dinosaurs were fabulous, so many full skeletons and so many of different-aged dinosaurs so you could see the progression from baby to youth to adult. They had 8 triceratops skulls!! The information provided for the exhibits was clear and interesting. We also enjoyed the section on the history of Native Americans in the region. We would highly recommend this museum to everyone!

Attended the museum specifically for the dinosaur exhibition. What a great exhibit it is - set out clearly and very interesting. We made sure after travelling from Australia to specially drive 6 hours to see it as my husband is dinosaur obsessed. We spent about 2-3 hours there and it was very informative. Boy are those dinosaurs huge. It was interesting to understand the history and see all the fossils. The complete skeleton of the T-Rex was fabulous and just shows how big they really were (and how small we are). We were also lucky to see the Yosemite exhibit and magical creatures exhibit. All in all it was great to see (and we really aren't museum people). The museum has plenty of on site parking and restrooms available. Definately recommend.

What a surprise this one was. Never knew there were so many artifacts to see. You must see this one. It is a great stop and a wonderful place to stretch your legs.

Very good Museum. Excellent dinosaur exhibits. Wide ranging collection. Also had Reptile exhibit with about 20 live exotic reptiles. Planetarium filled quickly.

Terrific museum which gives great history of region and dinosaur discovery. We were there on a very cold (10*)snowy Sunday morning. Friendly staff, who seemed delighted to share information. Many interactive experiences for children who were thoroughly enjoying their day. And T Rex is awesome.

Excellent educational experience. I was taken aback by the great opportunity to get to see Sue. The only T Rex with its intact skeleton. But there were many other prehistoric and aquatic animals. It was fantastic
Plus we also saw a revisit of a farmland experience from the 1800s.

The layout of this museum is really amazing. They have everything from fine details for those were more interested, to easy to find and look at things for the younger viewers. Kept my kids interested for the whole day. We really enjoyed the planetarium shows also. The kids interactive area was very cute.

Spent several hours with grandkids going through this museum in August 2020. Staff are very aware of keeping social distance with people and enforcing the wearing of a mask. The exhibits and displays were organized, clean, and professionally done. Highly recommend a visit from individuals to families.

Museum attached to the University of Montana, very rich in skeletons of prehistoric animals, including a tyrannosaurus rex discovered in the early 2000s in Montana. Very educational explanations. Until September 2023 there is also an exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci, his inventions and his painting. Very interesting museum for adults and children alike

Plan on at least two hours. Best if you can catch a show at the planetarium too. The exhibits are remarkable. A lot of people don't realize that Montana is a rich source of dinosaur fossils so the Museum of the Rockies is the home of many world class scientists and exhibits.

The dinosaur exhibit here is phenomenal. I've visited the Field Museum and the Smithsonian, this is probably the 3rd best dinosaur exhibit I've seen. The facility has some other exhibits around the frontier history of Montana as well as the indigenous peoples of the region. There is also a nice playplace for small kids on the top floor.

Absolutely loved this museum. Who would have thought so much happened in Montana!?

Highly recommend the planetarium - NOTE: not for those who get motion sickness.

From dinosaur fossils, to Yellowstone history, to Native American history, to gold rush history, to Vikings .. it's all here!

A nice way to spend 1-2 hours. Eclectic exhibits: dinosaur fossils (full t-Rex and multiple triceratops skulls), luxury car paintings, and Yellowstone Native American lifestyles. Planetarium film (included with admission) was about the mechanics and upkeep of telescopes in Chile. Museum is small. 2nd floor has a playroom for kids. Admission is $16.50 per adult with 10% for AAA discount.

with excellent exhibits in beautiful surroundings; We especially enjoyed the dinosaur exhibits which were very educational and well done; we'd go again

The Museum of the Rockies offers a ton of information about the dinosaur discoveries in Montana area. Also history of the State of Montana and Yellowstone. Great displays.

My friend and I stopped in here while in Bozeman. Had one heck of a time finding it, but finally managed! It costs to get in but it's well worth it. So many wonderful things to look at. Even outside you can go into the old house, etc out to the right side as you are leaving. Some neat old buildings! Well worth seeing!!

I’ve been to the Museum of the Rockies on three occasions. Never failed to impress. Just a great place to go for natural history. Fantastic dinosaur exhibits! Worth the trip!

Typical museum and very informative about (of course) the Rockies. Our family spent probably an hour inside. I found the live farm exhibit in the back to be of most interest.

We were visiting Bozeman on a cold, rainy day and needed to fill a couple of hours. My family is NOT usually interested in museums - but they all enjoyed the visit. The museum has some of the largest dinosaur exhibits in the world. It is a working museum with staff working on newly discovered specimens while you watch. It also includes pioneer exhibits with cabin replicas and quilts, automobiles, and more. It is not very big - but was very interesting. and well done. I wish we had time to attend one of the Planetarium presentations.

It's a 3.5 = Good, because of the living history farm. Otherwise, this is really a place for families with kids. Whole hall dedicated to mythical and supernatural creatures - um, no, that's not science. And it isn't done all that well for sociology. Lots of dino bones, but I've done the Field in Chicago and Smithsonian in DC, maybe I'm just satiated. Will say it was artfully arranged and with decent copy. Enjoyed the transportation / daily life section, but in the end, did not live up to the hype. And, if you are Mom, Dad + 2 kids, it's $64 - which doesn't fee cheap.

They had full sized dinosaurs which my children loved. We had a blast. The space show was very well made. Couldn't recommend more

Really great museum and totally unexpected. Who knew Bozeman Montana would have such a fantastic museum. I enjoyed here more than Chicago's Field Museum for dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs!
Okay, so who knew Montana was favorite place for Triceratops to die? This museum has easily the most extensive and well put together collection of Triceratops fossils and information of any museum I've ever seen. My family and I spent over a hour just reading and enjoying all the info on them. I really can't say enough good things about the dinosaur exhibits here. If you like dinosaurs this is a must.

Snakes!
There is a great display of live snakes and reptiles to enjoy with facts and trivia. The rattlesnake was super active while we were there. Getting to watch the snakes actually move around, versus just sit coiled up, was really nice.

Planetarium
There is a planetarium showing movies every hour(ish). Worth sticking around to watch.

We liked the museum well enough. I expected more dinosaurs, but there were enough. The explanations were very well done, and they answered a lot of questions and covered recent research findings. The rest of the museum was a pastiche of this and that, all appropriate for the area. Not bad at all for a small city museum.

But not everything was at a high level. The planentarium show that we saw was dull. The admission ticket allowed us to see more shows, but we didn't stay that long. The photo exhibit was indifferent, and some of the posted explanations required anyone over two feet tall to bend over. Badly designed.

The museum shop was good but not outstanding. There was a mask requirement, but we saw plenty of folks not wearing masks.

This is one of the better museums we've been to. Definitely the best Dinosaur exhibit I've ever seen. Worth the visit.

The Museum of the Rockies is fascinating! The dinosaur exhibits are amazing. It is such a comprehensive exhibit and so cool to know that many of the artifacts were excavated not far from Bozeman by MSU students and professors! The museum is much more than dinosaurs though so plan accordingly. There is a great Native American exhibit, antique cars, and much more. The Planetarium is fun as well with good shows. Well worth a visit!

There is not enough space to write all of the things I love about the MOR, so I will keep this short and to the point. The traveling exhibits are always interesting, either in a, "Hmm, makes you think..", way or a, "Holy cow, I had no idea...", fashion. The permanent exhibits are fantastic, and really give you a snapshot into life throughout the settled history of Montana. I love the recreation house and make a point to look through it every time I go. The Living History Farm is also amazing, and the dedication of the volunteers who staff the exhibit is impressive. The regular staff deserves recognition as well, as they are always pleasant and very helpful (especially when it comes to settling bets made about the further history beyond the exhibits). All around, the experience is excellent every time I step through the doors, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

The Vikings Begin exhibition. Well done display. Worth the time and visit just for this. Enjoyed learning about Vikings and seeing the collection of antiquities.

Extensive dinosaur exhibit! There is a viewing lab, where you can watch employees work on fossils. They will happily answer any questions you have. We found the museum gift shop to be expensive. However, what I will remember most about this visit is the employee who greeted us at the door. I wish I had gotten that young man's name. "Welcome. Come in, friends." He was so welcoming. He asked us where we were from and thanked us for visiting. When my husband asked for a military discount, he warmly thanked my husband for his service. He showed us where to hang our coats and gave us basic information about the museum. This is a young man who loves his job!

Getting to chat with a real paleontologist was a special treat. The number and arrangement of dinosaur bones, many from the region, is really exceptional. Not limited to dinosaurs, the MOR also has some well-done period exhibits, interesting tool displays/guessing games, and traveling exhibits (The Vikings exhibit was there).

This museum is Smithsonian in quality. We were very impressed with the displays and exhibits. We were there in early May and it was snowing like crazy!

We visited friends in Bozeman and they suggested we absolutely need to visit the museum. It was very good advise. This museum has the most complete collection of dinosaur bones we have ever seen. It is part of Montana State University and very well organized.. The section where they described the very nearly days of planet Earth where oxygen was created by bacteria over millions of years, thus allowing future life forms was fascinating. There is also an entire floor equipped for children to explore dinosaur life. We actually came back for a second day to revisit some sections.

Dinosaur attractions make way museum of the Rockies is #1 they even show you a scientist sawing through the dinosaur bones.💯💯💯 Best dino museum ever.

never been there before in th 20 + years I've been going to Montana. I highly recommend a visit, especially if you or your kids like (Dinos)

Great Vikings exhibit and lots of Dinosaurs! Don't forget the free shows in the amphitheater too! This is a great place for the whole family. Been going since grade school and got to take my own daughter 20 years later!

I was over the top impressed with this museum and will definitely make a trip to Bozeman again to spend more time!

Outstanding museum, we toured on our way to the airport. My partner insisted on fitting this fabulous museum in and it was so worth it. What a marvelous collection and such excellent contextual labels and education materials. Our favorite part of the museum was the amazing display of Triceratops dinosaur bones, It was fascinating seeing all the different variations of skeleton and growth characteristics from the juvenile triceratops to the older with amazing changes in their neck shield. Also we so enjoyed seeing the palentologists from the University working on individual fossils. We just so enjoyed every bit of the museum, even the photos on the historic railroad near Bozeman. We highly recommend for an absorbing and fascinating morning or afternoon.

Stopped in to shop in the gift shop - we did not have enough time to do the museum but it looked neat and they had a senior discount. The gift shop was well stocked, had plenty of help and had reasonable prices. Plenty of books for kids and adults and dinosaurs for all ages.

A little bit on the ho hum side and not as deep as it could have been with Native American history. Relied too heavily on photographs and not enough actual artifacts.

I had few hours to kill traveling between Bozeman and Big Sky before I could check in to a hotel, so I decided to stop by. The museum was really well done. The exhibits are interesting. And the personalize the photos with the University of Montana professors and students who unearthed the fossils. There is an area where you can even observe the paleontologists work on separating fossils from the rock. All the planetarium shows are included in admission, so you can see a couple of the movies in one visit.

Did you know MT had a gold rush? Vikings? Dinosaurs? Vikings!? It was a very fascinating museum about the history of MT, including the immigration of people to the Rockies but also a strong portion of Native history and culture. Let's be honest, the TRex was the highlight.

Horrible waste of money. Misleading name — this is a natural history museum. Incredibly outdated, no real strong linkage between exhibits. More catered to kids and dinosaur enthusiasts. Almost asked for a refund lol.

Montana is for Dinosaurs. Hence, exhibits for the Dinosaurs were the some of the best I have ever seen. Also, the film offerings were very informative in that the covered application technology from space program applied to medical and technical services of today's world.

Really neat experience and recommend if you like Dinosaurs or need something to do on a dreary day. Go to the Planetarium show also!

Great museum with rotating special exhibits. Lots of dinosaurs in dino hall, many excavated in Montana.

This was such a cool place to visit. Was amazed at the quality exhibits they had on display. I felt like I was in New York looking at exhibits. Anyone into history or dinosaurs needs to visit when in Bozeman.

This museum has only improved since my last visit. They have excellent, informative displays and the dinosaurs are the best!

Excellent musuem! My wife and I and kids enjoyed all the exhibits. Lots to see. We wished we could have spent more time at the musuem. I enjoyed learning about the Native Americans, kids and wife enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit, and we all enjoyed touring the nicely preserved house and watching movies in the planetarium. Definitely recommend the musuem to anyone visiting Boseman and have 3-4 hours to spend. We hope to come back one day and spend more time at the musuem.

This is such a cool place with tons of awesome stuff. Even with all the covid precautions, which were very well done at the museum by the way, we still had a fantastic time and spent about 2 hours there. Great admission price too, at 12.50 per adult👌

Incredible collection of dinosaur bones! Very educational exhibits. My kids wanted to go back again the next day. Highly recommend.

The museum bit really encompasses the dinosaur exhibit which is really interesting to young and older alike. It’s well put together and informative. The staging of the exhibit will excite children and educate adults.
The second major part covers the indigenous native tribes. As a foreigner to the US this was particularly interesting though it took the form of lots of infographic displays rather than exhibits. A fascinating and interesting insight which gives lots of pause for thought.
It’s a very modern building so well laid out. An hour is sufficient but more time deserved.
It’s a nice 35/40 min walk for the centre of town through the leafy historic district and university campus. Worth the effort.

Just go, it's spectacular! I have been to a number of dinosaur museums in the past (Field Museum in Chicago to name one) and this exhibit was incredible! I don't think I've ever seen such a complete skeleton of the T-rex and triceratops. The progression of triceratop and T-rex skulls was fascinating. Unfortunately, we had a short time, so just came to see the dinosaur exhibit, so cannot comment on the rest of the museum, but I will say that the hall of giants alone is worth the price of admission.

Simply incredible. World class. The presentation of this incredible material is great -from the rocks through the dinosaurs. We all had a blast. We also saw the Viking exhibit that is currently there and it's a pretty cool add-on benefit.

There is so much to see in MOR!!

Fantastic exhibits. The staff is very enthusiastic. Some of the best dinosaur displays I've ever seen. Planetarium is wonderful! Once is not enough. I'd go again!

The exhibits were wonderful, especially the visiting Creatures of the Sea and their normal dinosaur exhibits. Wish the had a map posted though so we knew where to spend our time.

This is a stunningly good small museum, and the quality of many of exhibits is comparable to big city museums. In particular the dinosaur collection and exhibit are national class, coming in comparable to the American Museum of Natural History in NYC and the Smithsonian. The material culture of the Rockies is a bit disorganized adn would benefit from more expositoin on the history of the late 19th Century, but overall what a gem!

Based on reviews on Trip Advisor as well as Facebook Group dedicated to traveling in this area recommended this museum highly and it did not disappoint. I planned the trip for my family and was so excited to visit this museum. I am a 4th-grade teacher, who gets to teach a unit on fossils to my students so I loved every minute of the fossil section. The rest of my family enjoyed the fossil section but were also presently fascinated by some of the other exhibits equally (Yellowstone area, indigenous people, old vehicles/old west). There was something for everyone including a gift shop + videos in the plantetarium. Everyone should visit this museum and next time I hope to complete the dino trail!

Very informative dinosaur exhibit!
it's a great way to spend a rainy day if you can't get outside
The movies they play are very fun as well

Expecting a museum about the surrounding area. Had a giant exhibit about Genghis Khan. What the heck this place is called Museum of the Rockies. Not Asia

They have a T-Rex... that is all.....

Oh alright then, I'll say more.
Admission is not cheap, but it is for two days (not that we can come back)
The show we caught in the planetarium was ace, they have what I assume is a visiting exhibition about Genghis Khan and then exhibits on frontier life, native Indian life, a Yellowstone gallery, geology exhibits and the gem of this museum which is several halls dedicated to dinosaurs, including a very small viewing gallery of a tiny fossil preservation lab (unsure if it's the real / main lab but it looked tiny) and in then the keystone exhibit of a complete (with a few replacement bits) adult T-Rex.

The dinosaurs were amazing, throw on top if it an ample space for the march of time as it takes you through the movement of man in the area. We also got to see the Da Vinci exhibit. When my 4 year old had enough of the people and the walking we went to the third floor where there were children's exhibits that she could interact with. A great relief for the parents. Ohhh and even a planetarium, all very reasonably priced.

I could have spent the whole day here, but unfortunately only had a few hours. So informative! I am a long time dinosaur lover and still learned a lot during my visit. The gift shop had many reasonably priced items that I brought home for my kids/grandkid. Definitely was worth the side trip for us.

Had heard great things, knew it was a Smithsonian affiliate and even so, it exceeded our wildest expectations! It’s really several museums in one place. We are not particularly dinosaur nuts, but understood that the vast majority of items in the exhibits were found locally. The pieces are beautifully displayed and if you aren’t awed almost immediately, you should leave and spend your time somewhere else. The narrative is easy to read and informative. We learned so much and we weren’t even reading everything! Not long ago I took a class on dinosaurs and the instructor spoke of the advances in technology that allow study of dinosaur bones and DNA discovering that these were in some cases colorful and even feathered creatures, not the just dark gray and green as depicted in movies. I was delighted to see this in one of the displays!

The museum also has a planetarium and we saw a thrilling show of the Northern Lights. This is not just a typical flat display just shown on a dome. The men who created this had to wait for advances in digital cameras and equipment to capture the sky in a way that it could even be projected onto a dome to to replicate what you’d see if you were outside watching! After that it took them months, often in temps near minus 40 degrees. Just spectacular!

Other exhibits are anything but shabby. We saw a cool on on Vikings, as well as one on Native Americans and more.

The admission is no more anywhere else but they also give discounts for veterans, AAA, seniors and youth. Parking was free and adjacent the building. We were too late in the season to see the outdoor “farm”. This is an amazing facility! I would give it 10 stars if I could. If you are in the area DO NOT MISS IT!

Amazing museum for all ages. It offers a great history of the area. The displays were top notch. I would put this museum next to the Smithsonian for their Dinosaur displays.

My husband and I are in Bozeman to ski and had some extra time to kill so we decided to check out this museum. Even as adults, we thought it was pretty cool; I think for kids this place would be really cool!

There are tons of really cool dinosaur fossils and exhibits, that was definitely our favorite part. There were also various buggies from different times, I thought that was pretty cool to see.

It was $20 per adult and for how much time you can spend in there, it’s a good deal.

On our rest and recovery day from hiking we toured this museum. Great way to learn more about the history of Montana. The living history house was really cool as was the T-Rex and other dinosaur bones .

We enjoyed our visit to the museum, had a wonderful photo realistic car display while we visited that was amazing. Loved all the information on the history of the area and the planetarium was great as well.

Cool museum great dinosaur displays and this from a Chicagoan. A bit expensive but worth it! Would be fun for a family with kids!

We brought our grandson here while on vacation and the museum has a nice collection of dinosaur fossils. It would be nice if there were more exhibits of the history of area to see. Like more American Indians and the frontier times for the area.

Wonderful surprise while visiting the Da Vinci’s expo, extremely interesting and well set , with hands on projects , that all could try and wonderful explanation !

Made a point to go here and was NOT disapointed great venue fantastic helpful staff ,a must see in Bozeman Mt.,well worth the time.

Museum is small. $60 for a family of 4 to see. Took about an hour to see it all. Wouldn't go back.

This is a wonderful museum! One of my favorites in the world! This was our second visit here and I highly recommend it. The entry fee is very reasonable. There is something here for everyone. But the dinosaur section is the best I have ever seen. The descriptions include the name of the paleontologist(s) who made the discovery and a citation of the paper about the discovery! Finally a museum who gives the scientists credit! Even if you are not into dinosaurs this exhibit is worth your time. And if you are into dinosaurs plan your Montana trip around this museum.

They have accurate descriptions of the scientific method and great explanations debunking a lot of the “fake science” found on the internet.

There are wonderful exhibits about Montana history, Native Americans and more. The traveling exhibit was about Vikings with some pretty amazing items.

The planetarium is included in the admission price and we went to two shows.

Plan to spend all day at this museum. It includes a children’s discovery center which we did not visit, but based on the quality of everything else here it will be great.

The only food at the museum are some vending machines in the basement, but there is a nice lunch spot at the big intersection nearby.

Six of us ranging in age from 7 to 76 visited together. All of us had a 5 star time. We enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit - great artifacts well presented. The areas for native American and Montana history were less comprehensive but still worthwhile. Saw two movies in the planetarium - volcanoes and astronomy - both good.

This is a good 1/2 day experience especially if you stay for one of the planetarium shows. You get to see local fossils and dinosaurs discovered in MT. Very interesting.

We had a few hours before our flight and visited it due to all the excellent reviews. And very much the right decision. The website said to plan 4 hours. I had a teenager and a young adult son and found that 90 min was perfect. Even spent time in the lovely gift shop with some pretty jewelry at reasonable prices. Highly recommend.

This was a great museum! We enjoyed all of the dinosaur bone displays and loved seeing so many different kinds of dinosaur bones.

If you’re into dinosaurs (or just cool museums), you’ve gotta check this place out. The fossil collection is amazing—there’s even a full T. rex skull! But it’s not just dinos; they’ve got exhibits on Montana’s history, Native American culture, and a really cool planetarium.

In the summer, there’s even a Living History Farm where you can see what life was like in the 1800s. The whole place is well set up, and the staff is super friendly. Great for all ages—definitely worth a stop if you're in Bozeman!

We went to the museum while on a stop over in Bozeman, MT. We really enjoyed all the dinosaur exhibits. We paid the $4 to see the planetarium show and it was worth it. This place is great for kids and adults.

Wonderful stop and the living museum outside was the highlight of the stop. Make sure you grab a drink at the food truck too.

We have been her3e twice! The first time was just my husband and myself...we were riveted by the dinosaur fossil displays!! WHO KNEW these things had been discovered in Montana! A year or two later, we accompanied my daughter, SIL and their two children! They loved it as well! CHECK IT OUT!

The whole family enjoyed this museum and learning about the dinosaurs as well as early settlers to Montana. The reptiles were a big hit with my 6 year old son.

The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, offers an informative and engaging showcase of DaVinci's works and inventions, providing remarkable insights into the creative genius of this ahead-of-his-time man. The museum's diverse exhibits, including the captivating dinosaur display and a collection of transportation and housing artifacts, add to the experience. The Living Farm exhibit at the Tinsley House offers a nostalgic journey into the past, perfect for photographers and those interested in history. With a range of displays and a 20-minute IMAX film, the visit can span 2-3 hours, allowing reflection on each exhibit. While the admission is $20 for adults, discounts are available for AAA, seniors, and children. With something for visitors of all ages, the Museum of the Rockies promises an enriching and enjoyable visit.

My wife, our son, and I visited MOR twice (Sunday afternoon after getting our rental car at the airport, and Tuesday afternoon after doing some snowshoeing in the local mountains). The ticket is good for admission on two adjacent days. The exhibit on dinosaurs and related creatures is world class, with a huge collection of ceratopsians. So many of these were found in Montana. The Museum is part of Montana State U in Bozeman, which has a highly-regarded paleontology program. There's also a large and interesting section on Montana history. It's terrific.

Montana is ground zero for paleontology and the museums dinosaur collection is fantastic. A great way to spend a few hours in Bozeman. I also enjoyed the early Montana and Native American exhibits.

Most amazing fossil collection, one of the best I have ever seen. I spent 5 hours in the museum and loved every minute.

It was a great museum from Geology to Dinosaurs to First Nation to Homesteaders. All of it was wonderful. I would love for the web page or a brochure to point out highlights for each section so that you are not overwhelmed.

What a wonderful museum for all ages. My daughter and I went and toured this and the planetarium. I was shocked at just how nice everything was for being such a reasonable ticket price.

Lots of exhibits- more than we were expecting, so pleasantly surprised. Lots of activities for young children, and a butterfly area. Neat layout! Worth seeing!

We needed to kill a half day in Bozeman before heading on to Yellowstone. After touring the town, we decided to visit the Museum of the Rockies. We started with a presentation of the “Montana Night Skies” in the Planetarium – which is part of your day ticket. A really excellent and informative experience. When they tell you to get to the Planetarium 15 minutes early, they mean it. It was almost completely full with 10 minutes to go. The dinosaur exhibits and fossils are hands-down the best I’ve ever seen. Truly an amazing presentation of a large variety of dinosaurs. There was also a photography exhibit "Conserving America’s Wildlands” featuring breathtaking images from Ted Turner’s conservation properties across the country. This was one of the most pleasant and fun surprises we’ve come across in our recent travels.

Various things to see and learn about . We Found it to be interesting and increased our knowledge about the area. We watched the
Show in the planetarium. Some Things outside are closed for the season.

We flew into Bozeman on our way to Yellowstone. Montana and Wyoming are Dinosaur country probably the source of all the Dinosaur bones in American museums. There are a tonof dinosaur bones inthis museum. Not one Brontosaurus but several etc. The display on Ghengis Kahn was also very well done. If you are going to Yellowstone it takes 20 minutes to get from Bozeman airport to the museum, and about an hour and a half to get to Mammoth Springs in north Yellowstone Park. We landed at 12:30 PM, picked up our rental car, visited the museum, and were at Mammoth Springs by 6 PM with enough daylight to see all the sights at Mammoth!

Great collection of dinosaur bones. The museum is fairly small, but we likely spent
1.5-2 hours here. I appreciate how they differentiate (by color) actual bones with casts or replicas. My favorite was the collection of triceratop skulls. Really hadn't seen that before and it was super neat to see the differences in skull shapes based on age. The museum was quiet and staff was friendly. Nice little gift shop. All in all, a great afternoon outing.

There is a really interesting temporary exhibit on the Vikings that is worth the trip. But the heart and soul of this place will always be its exceptional dinosaur exhibit and its exhibit on the geological history of Montana. It always delivers.

Very good gift shop too. That is important.

Wonderful display of dinosaur fossils - I especially loved the age progression of the triceratops skulls. Enjoyed the planetarium show as well.

I was expecting a good visit based on previous reviews, not the amazing visit we experienced.
Phenomenal display of dinosaurs with great informational cases.
I was not expecting the Native American or early settler areas, which added enjoyment to our day.
We both were not ready for the unexpected, comprehensive and fascinating Genghis Khan exhibit. This was such an exciting bonus! (Just as an FYI, this was the current exhibit, as I understand it changes from time to time.)
Unfortunately we did not have enough time to check out the planetarium, which looked intriguing.
Definitely worth visiting....high quality museum....in an easy accessible area.

We expected everything to be from an evolution point of view, but maybe a small exhibit on how fossils and dinosaurs fit in with a creation ideology would be really nice! Employees were very friendly and helpful.

The museum was fantastic. The Viking traveling exhibit was fascinating. There are several different areas in the museum where you can see dinosaurs and learn about Yellowstone National Park and the early settlers. Saw all 3 planetarium shows. Very interesting to learn about the Voyagers and Northern sky. Plus if you get hungry there was a food truck out front with excellent food.

Great place to take visitors to the area, especially when weather make outdoor activities difficult.

What a fun way to spend the afternoon! If you come to Bozeman you have to check out this museum. Learn all about the place where Dinosaurs 🦕 and fossils were found from billions of years ago. Perfect place to take the family and be transported back in time.

You could spend hours in this museum just looking at the dinosaur bones and exhibits. There are other displays as well and all are worthy of your time. The current live reptile exhibit was fascinating, but I was a little concerned about the blue iguana on display, mainly because it seemed like an unnatural place to keep such a beautiful animal. He was quite active on the day I visited and seemed to want to engage with people at the window.

While I understand the rules for mask wearing, I found it difficult to breath wearing one and exited the museum much earlier than I had planned. I hope to return one day.

Great value for the money. My three grandchildren loved it.. They where excited to be able to actually hold a real bone and that the paleontologist took the time to come out and talk with them. He spoke with them for over 1/2 hour and answered all their questions.

We stayed 1 night in Bozeman on our way to Yellowstone and this was definitely a stop we are glad we made! If you have the time, even only for an hour or two, it's well worth it to see the Dinosaur Exhibit! They have one of the few mostly assembled Trex skeletons in the US with a lot of other cool things to see as well. Highly recommend stopping by to see it if you have the time. You can zip through it like we did or spend hours there if you wish. Bozeman is a great little town and this was a highlight of our stop there. They also give a AAA discount :)

Amazing, each exhibit so well curated and interesting who knew we would find one of the best and most manageable museum experiences in Bozeman

It was alright. I was very excited when I looked it up but it just wasn't the best thing to do in town for me. I'm not sure why it wasn't as great as I read it would be. Yes, there is a lot of cool and interesting information and artifacts I just want intrigued by it. TBH I was falling asleep on that planetarium show and usually I'm fascinated by the science and information. One of the areas of the museum was closed and there were children unattended, so while I was reading or looking the children just walked by or stood in front that just made the experience less pleasant. My favorite part was the Yellowstone information and artifacts of the Native Cultures.

About 2/3 of this museum showcases the changes in the earth's topography, geology and the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. There are many exhibits with the original bones with explanations of where they were found and how they were removed from the rock. The rest of the museum showcased Montana's history. There is an area with temporary and changing exhibits, which had not yet opened, so we didn't get to see it. There is a planetarium and we listened to a very interesting discussion of the stars that can be seen in Montana's night sky .

The Museum of the Rockies was on the top of list for our summer escape to Montana. The quality, detail, and depth of the exhibits reminded me of the Smithsonian museums around D.C. near where I grew up. Don't miss the magnificent planetarium shows.

Fabulous museum! The dinosaur exhibits were outstanding. It was great to see actual bones. A friend recommended we see this museum, and it was no disappointment! I would highly recommend it. They had a interesting hands on Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I had no idea how much he has truly invented. We were on a time crunch, and spent two hours there. It was sufficient to see the majority of the museum and read as much as we wanted to read. They had a planetarium as well, which would have been nice to see but time restrained us. This museum is a NARM reciprocal museum, so if you are members at another museum, take your card.

The museum has all the right credentials so we had high expectations and were not disappointed. There's so much to see we returned after lunch to continue exploring. The wildlife photo exhibit right now is stunning. We spent quite a long time drinking that in.

Amazing museum. So much to see in a great space. Dinosaur lovers are going to love this place. We really enjoyed the Mysterious Creatures exhibit too. Don’t miss this museum if you are in Bozeman!

A visit to this museum was one of the highlights of our trip to the Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Bozeman area. The history section was quite informative. The dinosaur and fossil exhibits were one of the best I've ever seen and the visiting exhibit of Viking artifacts was an unexpected treat. I would highly recommend that anyone in the Bozeman area should take a morning or afternoon and visit this wonderful museum.

Amazing place with lots of dinos. The mythic exhibit was also cool and I like the relation between the two. Front desk staff were very friendly and liked the map.

This museum is definitely worth a visit. Admission fee is reasonable and is an excellent place for children. Dinosaur exhibits were our favorite. There’s so much to see, it can be a bit overwhelming. Also has exhibits for for Vikings, native Americans, etc. there was a planetarium but we were short on time so we didn’t get to check it out.

Visited while the Ghengis Khan exhibition was on. Very informative and colourful including a session of traditional music and dancing. Also enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit that is always present. Huge Trex’s. There was a resident archeologist who was cleaning bones that had been collected from a dig in Montana. He explained who’s bones they were and how they were dated. Excellent value for money. Worth a visit.

Great collection to see of dinosaur bones and other features. I was very impressed with the no charge living farm that's open during the Spring/Summer seasons. Very fun place to explore and spend time.

Very good museum in Bozeman, MT. It showcases one of the world's largest collectoons and the only known complete Tyranasaurus Tex skeleton. The dinosaurs were great. The rest of the museum was okay, but nothing to write home about.

We recently visited the Museum of the Rockies. Their exhibits were very impressive, but somehow not what we had expected. Although there were exhibits about Yellowstone National Park as well as life in the area in the early 20th Century, we had hoped that the Yellowstone exhibit would be more extensive, and we had hoped to see more local and state historical exhibits. Instead, we saw a large Viking exhibit and a dinosaur exhibit. If you are interested in dinosaurs and Vikings, then you will enjoy those exhibits. If you are looking for extensive exhibits of Bozeman and Montana history as well as extensive insights into Yellowstone Park, you will not find them here.

This was really well displayed with lots of new information about dinosaur research that was fascinating. Also other information about the area and a planetarium show.

A worthwhile experience if you find yourself in Bozeman and have an hour to spare.

The main attraction is Sue, the world's most complete T-Rex.

The interactive presentation is very informative.

As museums go, it's quite small, and you'll get around it in less then half an hour.

Beyond the dinosaurs, there's also a planetarium and a small section of late 19th and 20th century historic reference.

Given that our friends who used to live in Bozeman and so many reviewers said this is THE place you need to go, I guess my expectations may have been set a bit too high. It's a bit too much of a "museum" in the placards and dry display sense when you first get into it. Adding to the boringness was the fact that now with covid running rampant and being on every door handle and sign and literally dripping from the dinosaur teeth, nothing could be touched. All the displays that were printed with the words "Touch me" now had a sticker on them saying DON'T TOUCH! So our two 8 year old kids were bored to death. The two saving graces came too late to save our first impression: the giant T-Rex (and other dinosaurs) in the "Dinosaur Room" were really impressive.....everyone from kid to adult loved that room. And then there was the displays of living animals (snakes and turtles and chameleon, etc.) that was cool. But by that time our kids were already restless and our opinion was set.

The Museum of the Rockies is an excellent museum and affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute. Bozeman and the museum make a great stop if traveling between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. The dinosaur collection is amazing and educational and many were found right there in Montana. We had a chance to watch and speak with one of the volunteers who told us about her experience in cleaning some of the excavated bones before they are preserved and displayed. There was so much to see and we only allowed a little over an hour for our visit as we were traveling from Canyon Village in Yellowstone to West Glacier. We quickly passed through the Genghis Khan exhibit which looked fascinating. I would have loved to seen the living history farm. Plan on at least 3 to 4 hours to see all this museum has to offer. Great for kids of all ages.

Large and amazing collections and documentation of fossils, minerals and Indian display! Very impressed. We will go back if we are in the area. We give it an A+.

Great experience definitely must see on visit definitely worth seeing customer service at start way in great too enjoy there job.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon and wished we had more time to devote to this world-class museum! The tickets are good for two consecutive days which makes it convenient for families with small children who can’t handle a long visit or for senior citizens who feel the same. We saw the current Genghis Khan exhibit which is superlative. Coupled with that, there was a Mongolian dancer and another who played Mongolian stringed instruments in the auditorium. What we really wanted to see were the dinosaur fossils; we were not disappointed. There’s so many there, including the largest intact T-Rex fossil in the world! We also saw the planetarium’s show on constellations in the night sky, and they offered other showings, but we didn’t have time for those. There is a living history farm outdoors, but it closes a little earlier than the museum itself so be sure to see that early in your visit especially if you have small children who will love it! There’s even more with other exhibits on Yellowstone and a history of transportation. Easily allow four hours to tour and plan to come back the next day.

We were visiting our family in Montana and brought 2 grandgirls with us. Our daughter took us to the museum and we loved the experience of both the museum and the theatre. We also visited the pioneer home and farm just outside the museum and thoroughly enjoyed the history we learned from it. Kids love it so much we went again with our grandsons.

One of the best museum experiences I have had in a long time. Even with COVID we were able to enjoy each part of the museum and learn so much that we hadn't known before.

What a great place to visit! The dinosaur exhibits are fascinating- very well done and we learned so much. It would be a great place to take kids of any age and a place I’d like to revisit.

Excellent museum with so much to see. The hit of this museum for my 4 year old grandson was the dinosaur exhibit. He loved it! It is quite informative and the collection of fossils is awesome. Of course for him T-Rex was the best. They also have a fun Yellowstone themed play room that he also loved. It was a great place for him to burn off some energy while also getting some information about Yellowstone. We watched the video on Super Volcanos (planetarium is included in admission) and it was very well done and really interesting. It was great to see the day before visiting Yellowstone. In addition to all this, they also have a wonderful display of Native American items and a display of a home, vehicles, and other items from the past. Of course I didn’t get to linger through these sections long when all a 4 year old can ask is, “Where are the dinosaur bones?”

When my kid was little - he was happy with seeing dinosaurs on TV and animatronic versions in various places - now that he is almost 20 - he wanted to see the real thing - so, we took a summer road trip out to Bozeman, MT

Museum of the Rockies - closely affiliated with Montana State Univ. and their paleontology department - has by far the BEST dinosaur displays, science and information I have seen.

I was surprised how much detail he remembered about the various dinosaurs from his childhood, and he made for a great tour guide in the museum. To see the full sized "re-assembled" dinosaurs was awesome and thrilling - esp. liked the collection of T-rex skulls of various sizes, and the full size "Montana's T-Rex" - and of course the iconic "Big Al."

The two planetarium shows, included in the admission price - were also fun and informative - one about the Aurora Borealis (great to see this in 25 minutes in a climate controlled setting!) - and one about the stars and night sky in the Northern Hemisphere..

There was also a traveling Viking Exhibit in residence when we visited, and this was decent.

All in all - if you are into dinosaurs, or your children are - definitely recommended.

Very impressive displays, informative and well organized. Our family had as much interest in the old time pioneer section as the dinosaurs (which were quite impressive).

We were able to show up and go to the museum in a Sunday afternoon. However it does appear you can purchase your tickets in advance to attend and they have limited capacity. So if this is on your list to attend I’d purchase your ticket ahead of time. You must wear a mask and the museum is warm. We got hot walking around. The exhibits are amazing. We did not see the planetarium show due to our toddler being ready to be done. We did buy some trinkets from the gift shop before heading out. They have a homestead experience to walk thru as well that was really neat.

The quality of the exhibits in the museum blew me away. This is an inexpensive museum compared to the likes of the Field Museum in Chicago but it has a large collection of fossils and impressive dinosaurs. Well worth the stop. We thoroughly enjoyed!

The Museum of the Rockies is a great place to see dinosaur bones. The two best collections, to me, were the t-rex skulls and the triceratops skulls. Both of these show from young to adult progressions. At this time they also had a Viking display that was also very interesting.

Nice dinosaur exhibit. I learned a lot! Planetarium was good, too. I would recommend for anyone in the area.

WOW! This place is totally amazing!!!! My husband and I stayed in Bozeman for a few days before heading to Yellowstone and found out about the museum. What an incredible experience! The displays and information about each one are simply breathtaking. We were walking around in awe the whole time. We also watched one of the movies. We HIGHLY recommend!

As far as Museums go this was a little disappointing for $15. They only have two rooms dedicated to the history of the Rockies. The dinosaur display is very impressive but this place seem to cater more to young children then adults.

The best dinosaur exhibit we have ever been to. The amount and detail of the different species is simply incredible. There are also other exhibits which are very interesting but the dinosaurs take the lead for sure. There is something for kids and adults alike.

They have a remarkable collection of dinosaur fossils and with excellent explanation of the exhibits. They also have a planetarium show included, but get to the planetarium about 15 minutes prior to show to guarantee a seat.

We visited in mid Sept (2 adults and 1 teenager). My 15 year old son said it was “very informative and fascinating”. Staff was friendly. We had a nice couple hour visit to the museum and could even had stayed longer if we didn’t already had another event.

If any one in your family enjoys dinosaur history, this is the place for them...... :)

We went early in the morning before it was busy. Large collection of DaVinci inventions and dinosaurs exhibit was excellent. We watched a show at the planetarium.

This is an excellent museum. The dinosaur sections is incredible with many exhibits. The planetarium is a must see. The section on Native American history in the area was very informative and respectful. Definitely worth a visit

There were exhibits about Montana's history and a rotating exhibit about Genghis Khan, but what brought us to this place is what will bring us back, the dinosaur bones. While most are casts of real bones, it's still amazing to see something like 10 triceratops skulls in a row, ranging from infant to full grown adult. Second place for coolness goes to the old house just outside the museum that is authentic and has people playing as period actors.

I got to geek out about Dinosaurs! Totally a kid again! They had a great gift shop, lots of things to buy. I got many cool post cards to send home!

Was great to see the dinosaurs and some reptiles. I thought there should have been a into movie to help understand how the creatures lived. Nice display for small/medium size museum. Reasonably priced.

Great experience. Learned a lot about dinosaurs at Montana. Nice place to bring kids. Enjoyed also planetarium.

Great museum for Dinosaur and Native American interests. Extensive displays on Dinosaurs with interactive options for kids. They had a great section on Native Americans of the area. And a planetarium That did a film about black holes that was my favorite

If you are visiting Bozeman Montana, I highly recommend visiting the Museum of the Rockies. The museum is in natural history museum featuring a large collection of dinosaur bones recovered from all over Montana and the western United States. It also contains an exhibit featuring Native American tribes of the region as well as the history and settlement of Western Montana and the Yellowstone area.

The dinosaur exhibits are the focus and centerpiece of the museum. I was surprised at the number of samples that have been collected by the museum and the quality with which they've been preserved and restored. There are plenty of displays to keep kids of all ages entertained.

I also enjoyed the exhibits detailing the history of the people who settled the area. It was interesting to hear what early life was like in the wild west. Even seeing the ordeal that a 6-day coach ride would have been like just to visit Yellowstone really puts things in perspective in contrast with the conveniences and technologies of our modern world.

I would highly recommend visiting the Museum of the Rockies if you were in the area. Is worth spending at least a few hours learning about the natural history of this region.

This is one of the best museums I've been to anywhere in the US and I wish we had had more time to enjoy ourselves and see all of the museum. Give yourself 2-3 hours, there is just a ton to see. The dinosaur exhibits are the best I've seen anywhere in the US. The number of T-Rex, triceratops, etc will blow you away. They have the deinonychus fossils which is really cool.
The Living History Farm is fun and we talked to the re-enactor staff in the house. The traveling DaVinci exhibits were cool and interactive. We didn't have time to see things like the planetarium, the Yellowstone wildlife exhibits, etc.
I definitely want to come back here.

Cannot find words to describe how fantastic this museum is! The dinosaur finds are truly amazing. The displays and the information provided is phenomenal. Plan to spend several hours here. You will be glad that you found this museum.

Wasn't planning on going to this museum but after driving through MSU we stopped here before heading to Big Sky & definitely glad we did. Really cool museum with a lot of different aspects to see.

While in Bozeman with family we spent an afternoon here. It was great! Kind service staff at entrance counter and gift shop. We had grandparents, adults, teens & small kids in our family visit, everyone enjoyed this museum. The planetarium was a huge hit, thank you for having this! We will definitely recommend the museum to others we know traveling to or thru Bozeman.

Their triceratops exhibit was the most impressive I’ve seen, and more information has been added to the SUE exhibit (previously seen at a Science Center).

We didn’t have time to see a show, but the dinosaur exhibits were worth the visit. The additional exhibits were fine, but definitely were too sparse on information.

The Museum of Rockies is a vibrant museum with a rich collection of artefacts. While the contents of the museum can be bucketed primarily to geological, anthropological and paleontological collections, it is certain to interest folks who are not necessarily connected to any of these domains. There is a planetarium at the entrance to the museum which hosts shows every hour, on the hour (and there is a long line to make it to the hourly shows!). The most impressive part of the museum, for me, was the section on dinosaurs. There are a number of fossils found in this part of the country, and the Museum of Rockies is an integral part of the study and exploration of dinosaur fossils. There are life size structures of some dinosaurs, including that of a T. Rex, reconstructed chiefly using fossils which are indeed unique and amazing! The full T. Rex display is accompanied by a number of T. Rex skulls at various stages of dinosaur growth and the discovery and excavation of T. Rex fossils in Montana is described in riveting detail! While the dinosaur displays are the eye-catchers, there are also a number of displays, fossils and pictorial depictions about other species that existed many millennia ago, which help paint a holistic picture of the evolution of life.

Most of the museum is dedicated to Jurassic era fossils, but worth mentioning are the other sections of the museum. One of them related to more recent history of Yellowstone National Park - the rise and popularization of the park. There was a life size replica of the bison, and a number of displays about the various shops and geysers of Yellowstone. The museum also features an exhibit of Indians in the area and the impact of settlers on the life and culture of Indian communities of the West. It was a well curated section of the museum. Also on display when we visited was a special section dedicated to Vikings, which contained some Viking related display items. There was a nice gift shop as well, located near the museum entrance. The presence of this wide collection of items touching a variety of fields makes this museum an ideal stop for anyone visiting Bozeman.

this is a very interesting museum with a LOT of dinosaur displays. I wasn't aware of just how much fossil excavation is being done in Montana. There are also displays about the geology of the area.

the displays are well presented and interesting enough that even non-paleontologists can get a lot out of them.

There was a planetarium which sadly wasn't open when we were there.

A wonderful museum with impressive archeological and dinosaur exhibits laid out in chronological order. We didn't do the theater show but heard from grandkids it was great!

This museum has permanent exhibits to Montana history including both native Americans and early pioneers that are interesting, Yellowstone geology, and visiting exhibits, but it is the paleontological exhibit that is the big draw, at least for my wife and me. It doesn't have the huge displays of every kind of big dinosaur that you can imagine like the Chicago Field Museum or the Carnegie in Pittsburgh, though the MOR does have several. Rather it focuses on other aspects of dinosaurs, e.g. how they laid and cared for their eggs (some apparently sat on them much like birds), how their skeletal structure changed as they aged (dramatically), how fast they grew (very fast), how long they lived (some 25+ years), did they have feathers (some or most did!)? This is a fascinating exhibit if you take the time to read and study the displays.

This museum had a great dinosaur exhibit. I am not particularly interested in dinosaurs, but still spent 1.5 hours at the exhibit and thoroughly enjoyed it. They had a ton of interesting fossils, and also interesting educational information about dinosaurs and the process of finding fossils and learning about them. I was underwhelmed by the rest of the museum covering very briefly native americans and western history. The planetarium show was fine, but could've skipped.

It was an awesome experience!! The Dino’s were the best part in my opinion. We loved looking at the old farmhouse!! I definitely recommend visiting next time you’re in Bozeman!!!

Made a last minute decision to visit this museum in Bozeman, Montana. Next to, and affiliated with Montana State University and now apparently the Smithsonian Institution. Had no idea what to expect and thought it might be more geared toward children, but surprisingly it wasn’t. There were fairly in-depth exhibit, with well written out explanations as to who discovered the fossils and bones, and where. Theories were also discussed on the written descriptions. We didn’t realize Montana was home to many rare and extinct species that were millions of years old and discovered/uncovered in the 1980s and 1990s. The museum is known for its paleontological collections, but we were also surprised to see other areas of interest including artifacts from the Vikings, Yellowstone maps and stories from the 1800s as well as a surry, model T and a buggy manufactured in Columbus, Ohio. We spent about an hour and a half at this museum - the outdoor area was closed for the season. We spent about and hour and a half there, but if you really took your time, it might take up to three hours to read about all of the history and perhaps attend one or two of the Taylor Planetarium shows they have throughout the day. Two adults, with no discounts runs about $30. Parking was free. There was a kids focus area up on the second floor.

It seems like every museum has dinosaur stuff these days, but this one goes next level, especially for being in a smaller, more remote city. But adults will find much more of interest here as well. It's actually a well rounded variety of exhibits with plenty of well preserved and well presented artifacts.

The Museum of the Rockies was the highlight of our 2 week trip! It's no to be missed when you are in the area. We saw 3 planetarium shows and toured the entire museum-the dinosaur bone collection is phenomenal

Very nice museum. Pretty complete. Superb tyrannosaurs and triceratops. Bison, wolves, development of life in Montana. To do

Good museum, outstanding dinosaur exhibits. Planetarium included in entry fee which is nice. Well maintained and worth the visit.

Big gift shop, but doesn't really have the selection I thought it would.

My family and I spent all day at this museum. Every staff member we met was friendly and happy to help. Place was clean and welcoming inside and out with many clean bathrooms easily accessible throughout. We were able to watch all three shows at the planetarium that began at the top of each hour. There is an announcement 15 minutes before each show starts and shows were around 30 mins or less and so informative.

There was a traveling exhibit about the Sioux tribe that was amazing and so informative and beautiful. The pioneer exhibition was also great with many hands on exhibits. The dinosaur exhibit was everything I had hoped for and more. The museum gift shop had a nice variety of souvenirs. Outside of the museum was a working farm with staff eager to teach visitors how to work a loom and other pioneer time skills. There was a blacksmith making nails that the kids could take home with them as well as a chicken coop with a bucket of bugs the kids could feed to the chickens.

As my Yellowstone plans were scuttled by the weather, I figured to check out what the Museum of the Rockies had to offer, and was pleasantly surprised. The dinosaur exhibits were extensive, largely local (i.e. from localities in and near Montana), and unique in documenting the growth and development of different dinosaur species - from juvenile to adult in triceratops, tyrranosaurs, and a number of others. The displays were fully modern in their views of dinosaurs (i.e., proper posture, and recognition of their connections to modern birds) and included things like fossillized egg clutches and preserved feather impressions. Only at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC and maybe at the Smithsonian in DC are there better dino exhibits - well worth the visit!

Very informative museum. Love how the dinosaurs were found in Montana, I didn't realize some were found in the state or right in Livingston. I visited with my Mom and I liked the changing exhibit on the main floor, it was of reptiles and fish of the seas when we were there. I had just finished watching the Godzilla movies and the skeletons reminded me of the monsters in that film. Depending on the changing exhibits I'd visit again. If your kids love dinosaurs then this is a must!

We spent a couple of hours wandering around this museum and really enjoyed it. The dinosaur exhibits are wonderful - amazing quantity and quality. Other elements of the museum are also interesting. Exhibits are displayed very well and there’s just about the right level of information.
A must-see if you’re in the area. Parking was easy.

What a treat! We stopped in Bozeman for lunch and planned to see the museum, but we ended up staying much longer than anticipated. Extensive dinosaur bones and fossils, plus local history, plus a special exhibit on Genghis Kahn.

We had a family from 2-62 and everyone enjoyed their selves during our visit. The movie gave me a little motion sickness though.

Excellent exhibits! Great History of the area. A beautifully curated museum.
Expansive fossil collection, prehistoric history, native arts.

Their collection of dinosaur fossils is the star attraction. Aside from that, the museum doesn't have much more besides a very small, modest selection of native american items. So don't know unless you want to see dinosaur bones.

My son and I had some spare time during a short trip to Bozeman to see Yellowstone National Park, and we filled the time with a visit to the Museum of the Rockies. It was a nice 30 minute walk from downtown Bozeman, and when we got to the Museum we found it open and active (this was during the latter part of the COVID-19 pandemic, so masks and distancing were part of the deal).

The displays were impressive, and really accessible. The lighting highlighted the structures, and the graphic histories that accompanied the exhibits were clear and informative. Particularly interesting were the exhibits of First Nation habitats and experiences.

The reason to visit is definitely the dinosaur exhibits with fossils from throughout Montana and neighboring states. Exhibits on Yellowstone and Native Americans were also informative but seemed dated and in need of refreshment to ensure more local voices and agency. There are also traveling exhibits and a planetarium with hourly shows. Note that masks are only recommended and many patrons seem to eschew this advice. If you are keeping to COVID-safety protocols, it may mean foregoing some areas of the museum like the Planetarium which may be disappointing. Perhaps the museum might consider requiring masking in the Planetarium since it is not possible to maintain a social distance or alternatively offer 1 or 2 shows per day where masking is required to ensure high-risk visitors can safely experience this exhibit?

Loved my visit to the Museum of the Rockies. Gotta say the dinosaurs were my favorite part. For an extra $4 I bought a ticket to one of the planetarium shows. There are 3 or 4 different shows throughout the day/week. Fabulous show. Note there is no cafe or restaurant inside the museum.

There is a museum store when you first walk into the museum. There are 3 stories - basement has classrooms, restrooms and vending machines - main floor is the museum, planetarium, gift shop and 3rd floor is a children’s hands-on interactive museum. There are several restrooms throughout the museum.

The dinosaur section seemed to be the most popular with visitors and the largest section of the museum. Really incredible to see and read about the abundance of dinosaurs in this area of Montana.

There is an outdoor section of the museum with pioneer buildings. With temperatures in the high 90s I didn’t take the time to walk around outside. Stayed inside the air conditioned building.

Highly recommend this museum, especially if you are looking for time with dinosaurs.

When I walked in the staff welcomed me and explained how things worked. A mix of history from dinosaurs to native Americans. Great gift shop. For all ages.

If you’re spending time in Bozeman, and if you’re interested in fossils, Montana history, or the current traveling exhibit, consider spending a hour or two at the Museum of the Rockies. It’s a great little museum. Don’t go expecting the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. This is a solid little museum, as opposed to a massive national treasure. But it’s well worth the short amount of time it will take to tour it. Also, it’s on the Montana State campus, which I recommend taking a look around after visiting the museum.

The museum had lots of exhibits. The staff was great. Easy parking. Great video on earthquakes.
There is a senior discount.

The planetarium show was excellent. A really impressive collection of dinosaur bones and other fossils. There is a kid's center upstairs for really little kids, but it could be more kid-friendly in the actual exhibits. A bit pricey. Nice facility.

Nice museum, but several things were out of order. Encouraged social distancing and require masks. Several hand sanitizer stations set up to use after touching exhibits.

Worth seeing if you stop by Bozeman x Yellowstone. Truly incredible fossil remains, the t rex is crazy, but mention the huge collection of triceratops. An hour and a half may be enough, but if you're a fan, calculate at least double that!

This is a really nice museum. I brought my daughter here when we were in Bozeman for her college visitation. She really loves history and museums so this was a must. They give a military discount and since my husband is retired military, it worked out well for us. The gift shop is terrific and had a lot of great things to buy.

I've been to many museums and seen a lot of dinos. But when I came face to face with Montana Rex (T-Rex) I just stopped. Did not move for 10 -15 seconds until a kid who came in behind saw the Montana Rex, stopped and screamed "WHOAAA." That brought me out of the shock of seeing the most awesome T-Rex display by far.

The museum also has a great display of T-Rex and Triceratops skulls of different ages. You can see the differences in T-Rex and Triceratops as they grew.

One hidden gem that this museum has is Big Al the Allosaurus. It is a replica of the most famous Allosaur which had an unusual number of injuries (19) . There is a great TV show made as a part of "Walking with Dinosaurs" called "Ballad of Big Al."

Having seen dinosaur museums all over the U.S. I can truly say that Museum of the Rockies is one of the most impressive. Their collection and displays of huge Triceratops skulls with horns as well as the very large T-Rex skeletons need to be experienced in person to be appreciated.
With their planetarium and other exhibits, this museum is absolutely worth a visit.

We had some extra time so we thought we take a quick look at this museum. What a great find! It's mostly dinosaurs that were found in Montana. Exhibits show where they were found, when and who found them. Also some nice fairly recent history items and a very informative native exhibit. Lovely building

Great museum. The dinosaur displays were outstanding. With their vast collection, they were able to show the same type of dinosaur at various ages.

Small, yet great museum especially for dinosaur enthusiasts. Really enjoyed spending a couple of hours here on a cold snowy day.

Terrific Museum! We loved wandering through.
The Museum of the Rockies houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the United States

A great place to go learn! The exhibits were well put together and interesting. Overall a nice visit, the museum is kept clean and the staff is very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I would recommend checking it out on your visit to Bozeman if you haven’t seen it! Also a great place to take kids!

WOW! Our family thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Museum of the Rockies. The dinosaur exhibits and accompanying information are first class. The current exhibition, Apsaalooke Women and Warriors is a fantastic look at the history of the Crow People of the Northern Plains. We spent several hours at the museum.

Visited on 30 August 2020. Not crowded at all, plenty of parking even if you are pulling a trailer. We spent 2 hours in the museum and another hour watching 2 planetarium shows.

Excellent dinosaur exhibit, worth the visit all by itself. Very good reptile exhibit, not a big exhibit but worth viewing and the reptiles were active when we were there in the morning (9 - noon). Excellent exhibit of wagons and early cars.

Planetarium shows were not that great, one was like a press release for the space program, the other was on dark matter but also like a plea for funding for an Australian telescope construction program. Not what you expect from a planetarium. Shows were ok for adults but kids thought they were “kind of boring”.

This is an excellent museum and I hardly scratched the surface but I spent about 2 hours in the Genghis Khan exhibit - it is extremely good. I was in Kazakstan and Uzbekistan this Spring where Genghis Kahn prevailed during his lifetime and this exhibit covered those years thoroughly. The exhibits are outstanding as are the videos and signage.

What a pleasure to visit a museum which was accessible to all levels, child and adult without exhibits being dumbed down and visitors being patronised. (Eg: how do you think dinosaurs felt?).
The outstanding exhibition was highly educational for example in describing the various stages of earth’s evolution and with an interesting machine showing the amount of time each geological aeon lasted. This was fun for kids. The information itself clearly explained how life evolved and how thermo-Phillip micro organisms released oxygen as an by product of photosynthesis over about 3 billion years completely altering the earth’s atmosphere.
A clear exposition of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis, testing and theory would be a useful addition to nearly all the museums I have visited and it was there!
The outstanding section and collection of dinosaur fossils was enhanced, for example by a short video explaining how growth rings in bone can be measured to estimate age and how bone circumference can be used to estimate the weight of adult dinosaurs (as much as 8,000 Kg).
It was particularly interesting and encouraging to see scientific paper references for the more academic visitors.
I liked the sponsors being acknowledged as caring and feeding a skeleton!
Areas for children seemed popular and a room of mythical creatures surely encouraged younger persons engagement

A colossal collection of fossils from the animals that once inhabited Montana. We were astonished at how big these creatures were! Very well done and very reasonable priced for what it is! Would recommend for all ages!

This was a great trip to our prehistoric past and the price was fantastic. I highly recommend a trip through the museum!

Great variety of displays; especially of prehistoric eras, and of Native American and Settler history.

This museum is utterly fabulous. We were there for about 6 hours, and would have stayed much longer except my back gave out. There is an incredible amount of stuff about dinosaurs some about the area, and their planetarium is right. Some of the videos are dumbed down more targeted at children, but the exhibits are definitely for adults and they are wonderful.

The paleontology exhibitions are excellent. There are many actual fossils as well as those that have been preformed to allow you to see what they would have looked like.

If you have back problems as I do, I would suggest you start with a museum itself, take a break in the planetarium, take another visit into the main museum, go back to the Hagar, and that way maybe you can make it through most of the day.

Start early! Stay late! I highly recommend.

We went to this museum on a rainy day, and were very impressed! Being from a large city, this museum was head and shoulders above any other science museum we have been to before. The amount of exhibits was incredible, and took us a good three hours, even without reading everything. I loved the Viking exhibit especially, as I haven’t seen any other exhibits anywhere about the Vikings. Go early! We got there at 9:00, when it opened, and hardly anyone was there. When we left, about noon, the line was out the door.

This gem is a must see, the artifices that have been collected in Montana are on full display. Amazing staff, you are able to roam the massive collection of dinosaur bones and full scale dinosaurs in their collection.

The planetarium was an unexpected treat, it wasn't crowed when we visited and it allowed us to take our time and see all they have on display.

We visited this museum back in the 90s and it has really upgraded since then. Of course the dinosaur exhibits are world class. That is what it is known for. The traveling exhibit titled APSÁALOOKE WOMEN AND WARRIORS was very good. My only complaint was that most of the written material explaining the exhibits was vertically oriented and mounted about waist level so you had to bend down to see it and even then it was not easy to read. As often happens, trendy use of colors for the letters and background took precedence over a person's ability to read the text. The material would be perfectly positioned for a 7 year old kid who could look at it straight on but would not bother to read it anyway. The section on pioneer equipment and living was interesting and the planetarium show in super volcanos was well worth the time. We spent about 2 hours before our feet got tired but you could easily give this place a half day if you have the stamina.

Starting our journey 5 billion years ago we travel in time and see how Montana has evolved. Kids loved the dinosaurs. The information was very informative. Native American exhibits were splendid as well. Don't forget the living farm tucked to the side of the museum. Live demos. Very fun.

This had everyting! Dinousaurs, Vikings, Montana heritage. It also had the Planetarium which showed three different shows about our different solar system and planets and the stars. The constellation was good but the one about the Voyager was the one most interesting. Have to get there when first opens up cause after noon, long lines and sometimes you can not get into the shows. First show at 10 am so get there about 9, look around, then go to the 10 am show, maybe something to eat (GREAT FOOD) or visit the store, then see the second show. Otherwise may not get into. After first 10 am only 20 minutes before open doors up again and the lines will be long if want until 10:45. After see shows then go through rest of museum, unless you do not want to see the shows. BUT THEY ARE GREAT AND YOU LEARN THINGS! Dont miss out..go early, see shows then visit museum. The cost is not high so everyone can see things that you will not get to see anywhere else except TV. This is #1 in the United States folks!!

My kids liked the dinosaurs, and the planitarium was really cool. But my favorite part was the living history farm and the people working there. Walking through an actual farm house with all the period appropriate items in it was really interesting - having some ladies and gentlemen there showing how things were done in that time while in period dress just really put it over the top. They were very ready to answer questions and make suggestions for things to search out - my son was asked to find the pig. I would make the drive again just for that little bit of history - thank you!

We came to see the T-Rex, but there was so much more. A great exhibit on Genghis Khan (my son particularly liked the interactive story part), an impressive section on Montana (and Western US history), and, of course, the dinosaurs. Cool kids place to play. More interactive than some of the other museums visited on this trip.

Impressive dinosaur collection. Very thorough and educational for adults as well as for children. Highly recommend.

A great learning experience! Would be wonderful for all ages. Exhibits are well laid out and the information is easy to understand. Beautiful facility.

My husband and I went on our first day in Bozman. Spent about 2 hours there and both enjoyed it. The Dinosaur area was our favorite part.

We arrived mid morning and spent a good half day. I enjoyed the living history area and all the history about the indigenous people. Be sure to line up early for the planetarium movie. The dinosaur exhibits were incredible.

During my trip, there was a special display of Genghis Khan, the Mongol emperor. It was very nice display. Other part of the museum was excellent. There was a short cultural program on Mongolia.

We thoroughly enjoyed this museum. The dinosaur exhibit alone was worth the trip. The kids loved every second.

*Disclaimer-we stayed in July 2022, but I kept getting busy with life and kids and kept forgetting to review, but they deserve the good review. Marked as Sept 2022, but we were there in July, early August.

Dinosaur heaven! Oh my gosh! this was one of the best museums we have been to, at least for dinosaurs! Our son loves all things dinosaur and has since he was very little. We went on a multi day tour to Yellowstone and decided to add a day to our trip in order to stay in Bozeman to come to the museum. Our son was in Heaven! He loved seeing the original fossils of dinosaurs that we have seen casts of in Columbus at COSI. There were other parts of the museum and we enjoyed all of them, but spent the majority of our time with the dinosaurs. It is definitely the measurement used by our son when we go to other museums now. It was quite enjoyable and worth the time and money.

Very nice and organized museum Lots of info If you are in neighborhood it is must visit In addition there was an exposition about Gingis Khan it was a nice extra

Ok, so part of it is closed for renovations now but don't worry. plenty of good stuff to see. The planetarium is an extra $10 and nice, with 2 different shows, but it's not aimed specifically to children. The child next to me was frustrated.
The gift shop has tons of stuff for all ages and budgets. The exhibits are mostly dinosaurs, and well-done. There are also pioneer-days exhibits which were very nice. Also has a free movie that I didn't care for, and slipped out.

This museum is an outstanding effort on the part of the university and several benefactors and very dedicated staff who produce a walk through the history of the universe in the planetarium shows through the history of the Earth and the life that emerged from the Mesozoic Era through lifestyles of the Native Americans and European settlers until post WWII. Well worth spending half a day if staying in the Bozeman area.

I really like the artifacts and explanations in this museum. Provides a lot of scientific background on early earth and the dinosaurs as well as huge intact fossils. There is also a fabulous smiths onion style exhibit on Native American cultures which features video of Native perspectives of the land in that region and an exhibit on the early settlers that is Good information too.

What an outstanding museum! Took my 6&7yo and we spent a solid 5-6 hours.

We did the whole museum, left for lunch and came back for the planetarium show and the kids area.

Highlights were for sure all the Dino’s! My boys asked a ton of questions and had a guide who answered everything and with great patience and information appropriate for them. The planetarium was their first and they loved it- nice half hour informative show.

Kids area is awesome, spent an hour playing, fishing and coloring.

Very nice all around, great gift shop and great staff throughout the whole place! I hope we can return!

It’s one of the best museums I have ever been to. I highly recommend spending 2-3 hours there so you can see everything. Very educational and fun, too. They have a planetarium with shows, too.

We have a three year old dinosaur obsessed child so we stopped at the Museum of the Rockies. We went through the entire exhibit in a little under an hour (again, toddler). We would have stayed much longer to read and see the exhibits in more detail if we were without children. The museums dinosaur displays were really impressive and fun to see. Our son loved it. The room with the t-rex was especially cool. Definitely recommend for families with kids or for anyone who loves dinosaurs. Lots of information available with every display.

This is an outstanding museum for viewing dinosaurs skeletons and fossils. So much to learn , but you need to take the time to read the displays. We took 3 hours ,part of which included a planetarium movie. We really felt like we were in dinosaur heaven

We were quite lucky. There was a huge exhibit about Genghis Khan. We learned alot about that. The pictures that you will see will show how interesting it was. We learned how they lived. How they went to war. They liked masks.

We had the opportunity to learn about the cosmos. That was cool.

The last one was about dinosaurs. It was a great place and we enjoyed this place.

There were also a display of Native Americans, as well as vehicles.

I liked the dinosaurs the most!

A must see!

P.S. The tickets we bought was good for two days.

Perfect way to see dinosaur bones. If you have a couple of hours, add this to your list. Very easy to do. Lots of wonderful information.