Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
One of the world's leading palaeontology museums, set in the badlands just northwest of Drumheller. Its Dinosaur Hall alone is worth the drive, and it is open through the winter on a Tuesday to Sunday schedule.
Alberta (Canada)
Drumheller & the Badlands
Drumheller sits in a deep valley cut into the Alberta prairie, where the Red Deer River has carved layers of Cretaceous rock into badlands full of dinosaur bones.
This guide covers the town and its surroundings properly: the Royal Tyrrell Museum, one of the world's great palaeontology museums, the 25-metre World's Largest Dinosaur you can climb inside, the fragile Hoodoos on the road to East Coulee, the long arms of Horseshoe Canyon, and the old coal-mining ghost town of Wayne with its Last Chance Saloon. It also takes in the small stops that make the drive worthwhile, from the Rosedale Suspension Bridge to a church that seats six, plus the short interpretive trail that starts beside the museum. Five hotels, from a garden inn near the river to indoor-pool family hotels on 2nd Street, cover the town, and two guides explain what to book ahead and where to sleep. Calgary is about a ninety-minute drive away, so Drumheller works as a day out or as a slower overnight stay.
Don't miss
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
One of the world's leading palaeontology museums, set in the badlands just northwest of Drumheller. Its Dinosaur Hall alone is worth the drive, and it is open through the winter on a Tuesday to Sunday schedule.
Horseshoe Canyon
A U-shaped badlands canyon beside Highway 9, 17 kilometres west of Drumheller, with Cretaceous rock layers about 70 million years old. Walk down a gentle trail to the floor or just enjoy the rim viewing platforms.
The Hoodoos (Willow Creek Hoodoos)
Sandstone pillars five to seven metres tall, about fifteen minutes east of Drumheller on Highway 10. They are protected and fragile, so you walk the paths and look, but never climb.
Last Chance Saloon, Wayne
A frontier saloon from 1913 in the former coal-mining village of Wayne, reached by crossing 11 bridges. Come for the brisket, the grill-your-own steak and a room that feels like a living museum.
Things to do in Drumheller & the Badlands
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
World's Largest Dinosaur (Tyra)
A 25-metre fibreglass Tyrannosaurus rex beside the visitor centre in downtown Drumheller. Climb the 106 steps inside for a view of the valley from her open jaws, for a few dollars.
FreeThe Hoodoos (Willow Creek Hoodoos)
Sandstone pillars five to seven metres tall, about fifteen minutes east of Drumheller on Highway 10. They are protected and fragile, so you walk the paths and look, but never climb.
30 to 45 minutesDetails →
FreeHorseshoe Canyon
A U-shaped badlands canyon beside Highway 9, 17 kilometres west of Drumheller, with Cretaceous rock layers about 70 million years old. Walk down a gentle trail to the floor or just enjoy the rim viewing platforms.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Last Chance Saloon, Wayne
A frontier saloon from 1913 in the former coal-mining village of Wayne, reached by crossing 11 bridges. Come for the brisket, the grill-your-own steak and a room that feels like a living museum.
FreeRosedale Suspension Bridge
A narrow suspension bridge built in 1931 so that coal miners could cross the Red Deer River to the Star Mine. It is a short, free photo stop about nine kilometres from Drumheller.
15 to 30 minutesDetails →
Drumheller's Little Church
A tiny chapel on the Dinosaur Trail with six one-person pews, billed as holding 10,000 people but only six at a time. It is a free, quiet stop on the way to the museum.
10 to 15 minutesDetails →
Badlands Interpretive Trail, Midland Provincial Park
A 1.4-kilometre loop that starts at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explores the surrounding badlands in about an hour. It is free, suits all ages and turns a museum visit into a landscape lesson.
1 hourDetails →
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Heartwood Inn
North Railway Avenue, Drumheller
A small, highly rated inn on North Railway Avenue East with garden-view, superior and honeymoon rooms, a terrace and a garden. It is the romantic, quiet choice, about a ten-minute walk from the river pathways.
Check rates →Ramada by Wyndham Drumheller Hotel and Suites
2nd Street SE, Drumheller
A family-friendly hotel at 680 2nd Street SE with an indoor pool, a waterslide and a hot tub, a hot breakfast and a fitness centre. It is the practical choice for a winter weekend with children.
Check rates →Canalta Jurassic Drumheller
Highway 9, Drumheller
A dinosaur-themed hotel on Highway 9 on the approach into Drumheller, with king and two-queen rooms, kitchenette suites, free parking including oversize spaces and pet-friendly rooms for a fee.
Check rates →SureStay Plus by Best Western Drumheller
2nd Street SE, Drumheller
A limited-service hotel at 680 2nd Street SE with a heated indoor pool, waterslide and hot tub open year-round, a free full breakfast and free parking with a cold-weather hookup.
Check rates →Quality Hotel Drumheller
6th Avenue SE, Drumheller
A budget-friendly hotel at 100 6th Avenue SE with a free hot breakfast, kids aged 18 and under staying free and pets allowed in standard queen and two-queen rooms for a fee.
Check rates →Drumheller & the Badlands guides
First Time in Drumheller: What to Book, How to Get Around and How Many Days
A practical primer for a first trip to Alberta's dinosaur country: what to book ahead, how to get around the valley, how many days to allow and where the museum, Tyra, the Hoodoos and Horseshoe Canyon fit.
Where to Stay in Drumheller: 2nd Street, Highway 9, the River and 6th Avenue
A neighbourhood guide to hotels in Drumheller: the pool hotels on 2nd Street, the dinosaur-themed Highway 9 stop, a small inn near the river and a budget base on 6th Avenue, with five hotels matched to each.
