Night at the Museum with Alden! Read more . Virtual Museum Tour Bonus Episode. The Dueling Dinosaurs themselves went to auction in 2013 at Bonhams in New York, but no bid met the reserve price of $6m. The Two Medicine Dinosaur Center offers dinosaur digs, fossil digs, a museum, school programs, and gift shop in Bynum, Montana. Scientists pointed out that Montana is a well-known hotbed of fossil discovery, and expressed concern that it was the "opposite of a science museum." Phipps and O’Connor returned to the site about a month later, this time with Lige and Mary Ann Murray, ranchers who owned the land where the bones had been found. 25 4th Ave. NW Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Though the fossils technically belonged to the Murrays, they ceded control of what to do with them to Phipps and his team via a contract, the details of which remain private. She has held several editorial positions at the print publication, "The Otter Realm." “A little cowboy ingenuity, and we got ’em out of the hills,” Phipps says. MODIFIED OPERATIONS Visitors will see sauropods, reptilian sea monsters, and some of the world's rarest fossils in the Hall of Giants. Virtual Museum Tour Episode 9. Phipps called Horner’s reaction “sad”, adding: “If somebody in his position is telling the world that the best dinosaurs possibly ever discovered in the world are worthless, what donor’s gonna donate anything to paleontology?”, Acrimony between commercial and academic paleontologists is abundant. The museum values the safety and health of our members, visitors, and staff, and we are following Gallatin County, Montana, and Federal COVID-19 operating policies and cleaning standards. The state of Montana, meanwhile, unanimously passed legislation clarifying the definition of fossils and distinguishing them from minerals. COLLECTIONS. ABOUT US. He sold Sue at auction for a record $8.36m to the Field Museum in Chicago. Museum of the Rockies Located within the Montana State University campus, the Museum of the Rockies is acclaimed for its collection of dinosaur fossils and paleontology program. PLAN YOUR VISIT. He jumped down, combed through the sand, found the claw of a theropod. I try to live my life to avoid ’em.”. Last modified on Tue 23 Jul 2019 16.12 EDT. The COVID-19 global pandemic has left an indelible mark on lives and businesses. “We weren’t all that excited,” he says. Photograph: Clayton Phillips Phipps and O’Connor returned … And they appeared to have been battling when they died: teeth were found in the spine and near the pelvis of the ceratopsian, and the theropod’s skull was split laterally, as if it had been kicked. Theropods, like Tyrannosaurus rex, are three-toed carnivores. Additional discounts are suspended while we are offering this reduced admission price. Please note that if you don't feel well on the day of your visit, please contact us at 406.994.2251 to reschedule your visit. Now – December 31, 2020*. We are excited to welcome you back to engage with and explore our world-class exhibitions. The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum is located in the rich land mass of Northeastern Montana where some of the world’s best preserved dinosaur fossils have been discovered. This statewide trail is made up of 14 locations with a wide range of opportunities to explore and learn about Montana’s incredible prehistoric residents. For years after unearthing the Dueling Dinosaurs, Phipps and his team tried every tactic they could think of to drum up interest for a sale. ; south on US Hwy 89 to Bynum. Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. This was in 2006. All rights reserved. He brushed away some of the sand, and thought there might be more of the dinosaur buried in the hillside. It was clear: there was another dinosaur in the outcrop. HOME. One day, Phipps was behind the wheel of his uncle’s backhoe, scooping out soil from around the fossil so it could be removed. Virtual Museum Tour Episode 8. After the T rex known as “Sue” was discovered by Black Hills in 1990, a dispute arose over its legal ownership. But in 2005, the Murrays purchased the other half of the land. As of 2006, the Rudyard Dinosaur Museum opened its doors as part of the Depot Museum.