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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39774","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"400","height":"300","title":"It","alt":"It"}}]]Every summer The Children's Museum of Indianapolis takes family learning to a whole new level and ventures out to the Badlands of South Dakota in pursuit of 65 million year old dinosaur fossils. True to the museum's mission of creating extraordinary learning opportunities for children and families, we make sure that it's not just the professionals that get to have all the fun—you can go on this museum adventure too! That's right, whether you're a child who roars or a grown up who still gets geeked at the sight of a dinosaur skeleton (or you're someone who has a child or grown up that does), a day or 2 at a real working dig site might be the perfect family vacation idea for you.
Your adventure will start in Faith, SD, population 489. At 8 a.m. you will jump into Moby, the great white van, and then go off-roading to the Ruth Mason Quarry where you will be greeted and trained by our fearless leaders Dallas and William. You'll get down and dirty, utilizing the tools of the trade—clam shuckers and exactos—and learn how to tell the difference between iron concretions and 65 million year old fossils. Trust me, it's not always easy but you'll be a pro by the end of the day. You will also learn the very cool art of mapping your finds. Last year we collected 191 fossils and William can tell you exactly where and how each one was found, thanks to all of the excellent maps that were created by our diggers.
When your digging days are over, never fear because the learning and adventure don't have to end. Once the fossils have made the journey back to the museum, families can arrange times with the Paleo Lab to come in and work on their fossils. You can actually go behind the Paleo Lab window where all the cool stuff happens and learn how to clean and prepare your finds. You'll get to wear the coats and goggles and everything!
Our 2011 Dig dates are July 1–8 and families with little ones 8 and older can register for 1 or 2 days. Visit here for more information on one of the coolest opportunities ever.
