The provision of free educational resources, including interactive exhibits and virtual learning experiences, is a significant benefit offered by some UK universities and associated institutions. These programmes often focus on natural history, particularly dinosaurs, and are designed to be accessible to the public, including families, students, and community groups. The available source material details specific examples of such free offerings, which include physical dinosaur parks, travelling museum exhibits, and structured virtual field trips led by park rangers. This article outlines the key features, locations, and access requirements for these free dinosaur-themed educational opportunities, drawing exclusively on the information provided in the source documents.
Free Dinosaur Park at Western Michigan University
A free dinosaur park is located on the campus of Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, United States. The park features a series of scale-model dinosaur sculptures that visitors can explore. According to the source data, the park began with six dinosaurs in 2021 and has expanded over time. As of the latest information, the park contains eight different types of dinosaurs, with a total of ten individual statues. The dinosaurs featured are: Brachiosaurus, Spinosaurus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Utahraptor (two statues), Parasaurolophus, Allosaurus, and Dilophosaurus (two statues). The sculptures are described as being larger than a breadbox or a fourth-grader, designed to be engaging for children without being frightening.
The park is situated just east of Rood Hall on the WMU campus. For visitors travelling by car, the closest parking lot during the week is behind Sangren Hall. The exhibit is intended as a "look but don't touch" experience, and visitors are advised not to climb on the statues. Plans for future expansion include adding more dinosaurs, dino footprints that lead between exhibits, and other geological activities. Nearby, on the first floor of Rood Hall, the Schmaltz Geology and Mineral Museum is also open to the public free of charge. Its collections include fossil and modern shark teeth, mineral and agate collections, a Michigan copper boulder, an ultraviolet fluorescent display, mastodon fossils, and an interactive augmented reality sandbox. Museum hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding holidays and university closures.
Travelling Museum Exhibit: Dinosaur Discoveries
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History in Ann Arbor hosted a special travelling exhibit titled "Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas," which was on display until September 15, 2024. This exhibit was free to visit and was sourced from the American Museum of Natural History. It explored how modern scientific thinking about dinosaur biology has evolved, highlighting research from leading paleontologists. The exhibit was complemented by a special display on a new species of dwarf sauropod discovered by researchers from the University of Michigan, which is the first named dinosaur from the Jordan region.
The exhibit was recommended for ages 3 and up. The museum's standard hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed Mondays). However, during the opening weekend in February 2024, the museum was open on a Monday and offered free interactive activities. The museum is located at 1105 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, within the Biological Sciences Building.
Virtual Field Trips with Dinosaur Park Rangers
During the winter season, when in-person visitation to Dinosaur National Monument decreases, park rangers offer free Virtual Field Trips for classrooms and communities worldwide. These virtual tours focus on one of the world's most famous dinosaur quarry sites and cover topics including fossils, dinosaurs, geology, geologic time, earth history, and adaptations.
The Virtual Field Trip programme is primarily designed for educators and grade school students, but it is also open to all community groups, including universities, public libraries, and care facilities. Sessions last between 15 and 45 minutes and include time for attendees to ask questions. Spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no limit to the number of attendees who can join a single virtual class.
Scheduling and Requirements
Virtual Field Trips are scheduled for the Winter 2025 season, which runs from December 2, 2025, through February 26, 2026, excluding December 25 and January 1. Sessions are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
To book a Virtual Field Trip, interested parties must schedule through an online webform at least 7 days in advance. The requesting group is responsible for creating a virtual meeting link using either Microsoft Teams or Google Meet and providing this link to the park staff. Additionally, a Virtual Distance Learning request form (PDF) must be completed and submitted. This form is emailed after the initial date and time request. Both the meeting link and the completed form must be received at least 5 days prior to the scheduled trip; failure to do so will result in the appointment time being released for others to book.
For queries not addressed in the FAQ, contact can be made via phone at 435-781-7700 (ext. 0) during operating hours or by email at dinovirtual[email protected]. It is noted that the email is only monitored during the Virtual Field Trip Season dates.
Conclusion
The provided source material details several free, educational dinosaur-themed offerings associated with universities and natural history institutions. These include a permanent, free-to-visit dinosaur sculpture park on the WMU campus, a free travelling museum exhibit at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, and a structured programme of free virtual field trips led by park rangers from Dinosaur National Monument. Each opportunity has specific access details, such as location, operating hours, booking requirements, and content focus. For individuals and groups in the UK, these examples illustrate the types of free educational programmes that may be available through universities and cultural institutions, though the specific programmes detailed in the sources are located in the United States.