Paleontology Department

Day Tours

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Paleontologist?? Did you ever wish you could join a field expedition to collect fossils.. maybe even a dinosaur???

Now is your chance! Pioneer Trails Regional Museum will offer one-day field tours. See schedule, costs and registration information below.

Come and spend the day with our museum personnel as they and you search for and collect specimens and scientific data for the museum. The museum is currently working on fossils ranging in age from 73 to 28 million years old. This covers mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, dinosaurs, titanotheres, rhinoceroses, rabbits, turtles, and even mice all mixed in with exotic and extinct plants and invertebrates.

Tour participants will be allowed time for some supervised collecting at certain sites during the tour, but since all sites are current scientific studies, we allow no personal collecting. All collections belong to the museum and will be used to further the scientific studies being completed there. You will learn about the ancient environments in which these animals and plants once lived and get a first hand look at what the field of Paleontology is all about.

General Tour Information

The tours are open to individuals and family groups. All children must be accompanied by an adult and have completed a waiver of liability. Participants will be spending the day at a current scientific study area, not a tourist site. You will be observing the activities of the museum personnel and assisting them in the collection of fossil specimens, through excavation and the recording of scientific data. You may bring along cameras, video equipment, etc.

The tour areas may be in remote locations. You will be required to drive your personal vehicle and follow the museum personnel to the site area, where you may be required to walk up to one mile to the site location. This walk may be over rugged terrain, so wear appropriate attire and bring along a supply of water and snacks. You will eat the noon meal with museum personnel in the field. Sunscreen, insect repellant, hats, and sunglasses are some of the suggested equipment.

Information and activities will be catered to the age and ability of the participants on that day. We have had attendees as young as five and as old as eighty. One of the main goals of our museum is to educate and this is one way we can accomplish that.

Due to the limited space available at our sites, the number of tour participants in attendance each day may be limited.

Schedule

Pioneer Trails Regional Museum will offers one day field tours with advance notice and a required deposit. Email paleo@ptrm.org for advance registration and details of availability, or call (701) 523-3625 for further assistance.

To insure that you have reserved a tour date, please call the museum or contact us by e-mail at least two weeks prior to the date you plan on arriving or taking part. You will be expected to pay in full on the morning of your tour.

Tours are conducted Tuesdays through Saturdays starting the first week in June and continuing until the last week of August each year. There are no tours on Sunday or Monday. Tour attendees are asked to meet at the museum in Bowman, North Dakota to register and check in. Please use the door marked "Paleontology Tours" on the east side of the museum. The tours depart the museum at 8 AM MDT and usually return to the museum around 4 PM MDT that same day. There will be a short drive to the fossil sites and you will be expected to drive your personal vehicle.

Costs

• Adults - $100.00
• Students (ages 12-18) - $75.00
• Children (ages 6-11) - $50.00
• Immediate Family groups qualify for the optional group rate of $300.00
• Payment can be made in the form of a Money Order, Credit Card, or Cash. Deposit of half is required to hold your dates in advance. Once the tour has started, there will be no refunds. Museum personnel in charge of the tour can end the tour at any time if safety concerns are present or attendees do not follow instructions.

Register Now

Please provide the following information when contacting the museum by telephone or e-mail to pre-register for our tours:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number or e-mail address for confirmation
• Number of attendees and their ages
• Preferred attendance dates

Advance notice and desposit is required. Click here to register today by E-mail.

Each year PTRM hires a summer intern. The intern is responsible for taking guests on Day Tours, helping with all field schools and research activities. He or she will answer the phone when you call and assist with any questions. The intern is an undergraduate or graduate with geology and paleontology experience. Antoine, a resident of Paris has been coming too Bowman for six years. He is currently working on his doctorate degree in paleo-botany.

2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2000-06
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Georgia & Emily	Erica	Georgia	Karew	Jacqueline	Red	Antione