This is our old Dino Lab in Malta. The new Dino Lab in Billngs promises to be much better!

Once dinosaur bones are excavated, what happens then? Most people don’t realize this is when the hard work really begins! Finding and excavating a dinosaur represents about 20% of the total time before the animal is ready to exhibit. Preparing the fossil in a controlled environment is extremely important before the specimen is ready for research.

This is where the Dino Lab comes in. It is the official repository for all specimens collected by the Judith River Dinosaur Institute (JRDI). This lab will be about 3500 square feet of space with state-of-the art preparation equipment. Many people toured our previous lab facility in Malta, Montana and were so impressed. Equally, many scientists and preparators wished they had a facility such as that to work in. Well…the Dino Lab in Billings will eclipse all of that!

The Dino Lab is scheduled to open in September of 2010. We will begin preparing fossils recovered by JRDI teams. In addition, we will offer educational tours for the public and schools in eastern Montana and northern Wyoming. It is our mission to showcase Montana’s rich prehistoric past.

Upcoming Fossil Preparation Courses:

In the past, JRDI participants have enjoyed “Lab Day”, a single day where they could relax and work on the fossils they helped find. Their feedback inspired us to offer for the first time, a 5-day fossil preparation course in the off-season! To our knowledge, we haven’t seen a program like this offered anywhere! Dig participants will be able to sign up for a 5-day course starting in October of 2010. Stay tuned…course schedules will soon be announced.