REGINA, Sask. — Fans of those Jurassic creatures that roamed the Earth in prehistoric days will enjoy what is planned for the Royal Saskatchewan Museum this month.
November is Dinovember at the museum, with a number of activities and special features planned for those visiting.
Among the events planned is the "Dinosaur or Not?" scavenger hunt, which challenges visitors to identify which prehistoric animals are dinosaurs and which are not.
Also offered is the Discovery Cart, where kids can compare fossils and specimens to see what makes an animal a dinosaur.
There is also the Star of the Week, which the museum states will make a special stop at one of its dinosaur or dinosaur-related displays. Kids are being encouraged to look out for the star to find out which dinosaur is in the spotlight and get a handstamp.
The museum is also offering the Jurassic Park Audience Adventure on Friday, Nov. 20. That will include an interactive screening of the original Jurassic Park with call-and-response cues, themed props, playful science corrections and some surprises as well, according to the province.
Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross got a look at some of the exhibits at a media event Monday at the museum, including the "Dinosaur or Not?" display.
Among the items on display was a skull from a mosasaur, which, according to the museum, is “not” a dinosaur.
“Lots of people think that the marine reptile mosasaur is a dinosaur,” said Rebecca Hay, earth science program specialist.
“And it has ‘saur’ in the name, but it is, in fact, not a dinosaur. Dinosaurs are terrestrial, and mosasaurs were marine or ocean-dwelling reptiles that lived at the same time as things like T. rex, but were not dinosaurs.”
Also displayed was a tooth from a mastodon, which is also not a dinosaur, as it was a mammal.
Also shown was a fossil of a dodo bird. According to the museum, it qualifies as a dinosaur, as birds are now considered dinosaurs.
Minister Ross was also shown a large piece of a Triceratops frill, or shield, that was recently uncovered by the museum.
Wes Long, collections manager for palaeontology at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, said it was found in Grasslands National Park in 2025 during an event called Fossil Fever, which the museum takes part in with the national park.
“We were pretty excited because what we've been digging up in that dig site is an Edmontosaurus, or a large duck-billed dinosaur,” Long said.
“And then all of a sudden this big bone turns up in there that's part of a young Triceratops. So we're really hoping that there's more of the animal in there because the bone is beautifully preserved. And it's a really nice dig site to work in because it's nice soft sand. So preparation of the fossil moves quite rapidly. It only took 10 days to prepare that entire fossil.”
Minister Ross told reporters that Dinovember is an “opportunity to learn about our history in Saskatchewan. And what I've learned since coming to the museum, it is a fascinating history. And I've learned that we have all different types of dinosaurs. Like we have some that are herbivores. We have some that are carnivores. We have some that are ocean species.
“And it speaks to what type of land we had in this place in prehistoric times. And my understanding is Saskatchewan is quite unique. We're one of the few that has had so many different types of terrain and topography in our country. So it's quite fascinating.”
Of course, in addition to these special features, visitors will be greeted by the display featuring the museum's main attraction: Scotty the T. rex.
Visitors can find out more about exhibits and events at www.royalsaskmuseum.ca.
