Blaine County Museum - The Montana Dinosaur Trail

501 Indiana St.
Chinook, MT 59523
406-357-2590
Website

The museum’s Paleontology Department has numerous exhibits with findings from the Judith River Formation. These exhibits feature hadrosaur, Gorgosaurus, and ankylosaur fossils discovered in the area. In addition, the museum displays gigantic marine reptiles, mosasaur and plesiosaur, as well as invertebrates that lived in the ancient ocean that covered this landscape 75-500 million years ago. The Museum also offers visitors the opportunity to handle fossils of sea creatures, plants, and dinosaurs that roamed Blaine County millions of years ago.

Did You Know?

When paleontologists make a find in the field, it is important that they have a way to transport the fossils back to the lab safely. In order to do this, they use a plaster mixture to encase the fossils. These casings are known as ‘field jackets.’ The specimen are then transported back to a lab where they will undergo the process of preparation. Depending on a paleontologist’s end goal for a specimen, the process of preparation will differ.

Where to Next on the Montana Dinosaur Trail?

Nearest – To the WEST

H. Earl Clack Museum
Havre, 22 miles (25 minutes)
Take US Hwy 2 west from Chinook to Havre

Nearest – To the EAST

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum
Malta, 69 miles (1 hour)
Take US Highway 2 east from Chinook to Malta.

While You’re in the Area

Bear Paw Battlefield

The Bear Paw Battlefield stands in commemoration of the final battle of the Nez Perce War of 1877. The site stands 15 miles south of Chinook on County Highway 240 as the final site on the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.

Blaine County Wildlife Museum

This wildlife museum features displays of Montana’s diverse wildlife in the natural habitat, with life-size displays and audio narration.

Fort Belknap Buffalo and Area Tours

Home to the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes, the guided tours of the Fort Belknap Buffalo Preserve are offered by the Tribes’ tourism program. Tours can be scheduled in advance or upon arrival.