Philip J. Currie Museum

The Philip J. Currie Museum is the new kid on the block when it comes to Alberta dinosaur museums. Named after renowned Canadian palaeontologist Philip Currie, the museum is a younger cousin to the famed Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Mr. Currie was an important founder of the Royal Tyrrell and his namesake museum aims to build on Tyrrell’s legacy.

Located in Wembley, 20 km west of Grande Prairie, in Alberta’s northwest, the museum is dedicated to preserving the history and furthering research of the Pipestone Creek and Wapiti River bonebeds. While not as near to Alberta’s largest cities, the lure of dinosaurs is sure to draw young and old to the Peace region.

In addition to dinosaurs and fossils, the Philip J. Currie Museum explores the role of geology and palaeontology in Alberta’s key oil and gas industry. Grande Prairie and the surrounding area owe much of their existence to this industry and its relationship with geology runs deep.

If you do make the trip north, there is plenty of hotel accommodation and services available in Grande Prairie. Prefer to camp, there’s plenty of that around too including the campground that is home to the Pipestone Creek bonebed itself. Put this on your summer bucket list. Include the Tumbler Ridge Museum for a dinosaur two-fer. It’s only a couple hours drive west.