question for the great traveling brains of friends

Okay, in news unrelated to Pru being the antichrist of fanfic.

In Feb/March I'm getting my tax return and Child's old enough for me to feel comfortable taking him on a trip where he'll enjoy himself. Assuming nothign nightmarish happens to the money, anyway. His thing is science and dinosaurs, so I want to take him to a place that has a really great dinosaur exhibit. If we're talking in the continental US, what would be good? He also likes reptiles, so I was thinking of the San Franscisco zoo, but that's not required, the dinosaurs are the cool thing and he really wants to see them. Any suggestions?

Comments

ummmm..

[melzieluvsdon.livejournal.com]

SF has the Exploritorium. Kids can go around and touch and see
all sorts of scienfic things. My son went a few years ago and
really enjoyed it.

Hope this helps
Mels, The Lurker

[basingstoke.livejournal.com]

I've always loved the Smithsonian. They have those animatronic ones, iirc. And then you have the whole rest of the Mall to boot.

[eal.livejournal.com]

I second this!

You also have Air and Space, which most boys adore (in my experience).

Museum of Natural History. Seriously, worth the experience.

M

how about canada - pretty much straight north

[montdlaw.livejournal.com]

http://www.dinosaurvalley.com/

http://travel.canoe.ca/Travel/Canada/Prairies/2005/04/27/1015602.html3

Dinosite! and Guided Hikes take all ages through the desert-like topography of the Badlands (so called by French explorers because the sun-crusted land was bad for farming). Our group hadn't walked very far before we saw a hawk and a sleepy garter snake and found real fossils embedded in the clay.

For serious dinophiles, Day Digs give kids 12 and up a full day working side-by-side with Museum staff both behind-the-scenes and at a dig site. The new Excavate It! lets young teens work with an excavation team in the Badlands using fossil replicas. Parents are welcome. Dino Mites Dino Camp is a one-hour time travel for kids four to six. Summer Day Camps give seven- to 12-year-olds an afternoon of dinosaur adventures. Fossil Casting shows kids four and up how to create a keepsake fossil.

[mahaliem.livejournal.com]

One thing my daughter wanted to do (but we never did) was a dinosaur dig - where you camp out and actually dig for fossils in the middle of nowhere (somewhere in South Dakota maybe?).

I know absolutely nothing about it, but I remember my daughter telling me how she thought it would be great.

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

Damn. . . I'm more of a mummy person, I could give you tons for that.

*thinks*

LA has the La Brea Tar Pits, which I remember was very interesting. Also there is the Exposition Park, which has a Natural History Museum with some great dinosaur bones displays and a Science museum next door.

But most of the the museums I've been to have been in England unfortuantely. . . .

[theantimodel.livejournal.com]

The exploratorium and zoo in SF are really, really good. But the zoo's specialty is probably the primate pens, they're newly expanded and actually pretty large. I love dinosaurs, when I was little I loved the Natural History museum in NY but I think Washington DC has even better museums, I've always wanted to go see those ones.

[flyingtapes.livejournal.com]

no idea where you are, but Chicago's Field Museum is awesome for science, dinosaurs, history, you name it. It's one of my favorite museums. The city has, of course, many other attractions, inclduing ones that the Child might be into--but that'd be my first pick.

[talitha78.livejournal.com]

Not so much with the dinos at the Field until the new Evolving Planet exhibit opens in Spring 2006.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

sclerotic_rings often posts about various dinosaur exhibits all across the nation, he's a great source of info. Peruse his LJ and then drop him a line telling him about your dino-adoring offspring! I bet he'll have a suggestion or two.

[bunglegirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm from Chicago and the Field Museum has that huge dinosaur, Sue.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

I'm actually writing a thesis on paleontological things, so I really should know this. Ummm... I'll second the Smithsonian bid, since the museum is so huge. I'll ask my knowledgeable advisor and get back to you.

[quinn222.livejournal.com]

The Field in Chicago and you could also see the Museum of Science and Industry there which has a huge train leyout and always has great things for kids.

Also, Disney World. The animal Kingdom park has a big dinosaur thing. They aren't the real thing though such as you'd find in a museum.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

I think my favorite museum with dinosaurs is the Field in Chicago, as well. They've even got a T-Rex in the lobby. :)

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

As mahaliem was saying upthread, you can take him to a field school this summer. They've got them all over the US, just find one geared towards paleoanthropology and he can spend a week digging for dino bones under the hand of a real archaeologist :) Great fun *and* a learning experience.

And, of course, the Field Museum, which is the most awesome place ever. ::wants to intern at the Field Museum somethin' fierce::

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

The Smithsonian has the best museums eva. Also, all sorts of other neat stuff to look at and do in Washington DC.

[kernezelda]

I remember going to Dinosaur National Park when I was a kid, less than ten years old. It was really neat.

http://www.coloradoguide.com/nparks/dina/index.cfm

[luthorienne.livejournal.com]

Atlanta has (or had) a fantastic museum with a dinosaur exhibit my husband made a special trip (from Canada!) to see.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

As a longtime resident of Northern Virginia, I feel compelled to pimp the Smithsonian (http://www.si.edu/). The Natural History museum is fabulous, and there's also the National Zoo with the baby panda (http://animal.discovery.com/cams/pandavidr.html) and baby cheetahs (http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AfricanSavanna/default.cfm?cam=CH1)! Plus, lots of stuff about American history and government, and if you came in March/April you might be here when the cherry trees bloom around the Tidal Basin.

[amber-32random.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I grew up in Maryland and The Mall in Washington, DC was great for exploring because of all the museums and their different emphasis! Most importantly for me as a kid, they were FREE! The museum of Natural History always fascinated me. The National Zoo is wonderful. They also have a rain forest exhibit that I liked. Another plus is that both the Mall and the National Zoo on on the Metro Line (the subway)You might want to check out this site to get an idea of the different Smithsonian Museums in that area. http://dc.about.com/cs/museums/a/Smithsonian.htm. This is to the Natural History museum. http://www.mnh.si.edu/ with a link to their dinosaurs website here http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/dinosaurs/index.html. And another link that might interest you here http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/dinosaurs/collection/where/main.html

Of course now since I live in Texas, I feel I have to mention Glenrose which folks here tell me is a great place for dinosaur enthusiast. I've never been so I can't really vouch for it. http://www.texasoutside.com/glenrose/dinosaurvalleysp.htm

Happy dinosaur hunting!

[ladyvyola.livejournal.com]

Yes, come to the Smithsonian! Since admission is free and most of the museums are very close to each other, it's a great way to maximize your time and resources.

Plus, we have seasons! (one of the few things I missed when we lived in Austin and Plano)

[fyrdrakken]

Go to sclerotic_rings' journal, and tell him A) that I sent you and B) that you're wondering where in the continental US to take a boy Child's age to see fantastic dinosaurs and maybe reptiles as well in the same city. Because he drove his first grade teacher to a nervous breakdown when she tried to get him to give up his dinosaur fascination, and he loves reptiles to the point of toying with the idea of becoming a vet specializing in them.

[fyrdrakken]

And on actually reading the other comments, I see I'm actually the second vote to ask Paul for suggestions. (He'll probably give you a list, with commentary.) Plus I'm planning to visit goddes in the DC area in January and we'll go to the Smithsonian one day, so I'll be able to report back on conditions there. Also, I know there are fantastic dino areas right here in Texas you could take Child to one random Saturday without waiting on the refund money -- again, Paul would know.

[jukeboxromeo.livejournal.com]

This is totally unrelated to your post, but I was just wondering if you got my email. It seems my hotmail may be eating my outgoing mail.

[waltzie.livejournal.com]

You really can't beat the Natural History Museum in Manhattan for science and dinosaurs.