At the incredible Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology (403/823-7707), about 90 minutes' north of Calgary in Alberta's badlands, families can ogle the world's largest collection of Triceratops, Allosaurus and other dinosaur fossils. Prized for its Cretaceous-era fossils, the museum opened in 1884 with Albertosaurus bones excavated nearby by Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a geologist looking for coal deposits. His discovery brought waves of paleontologists to the site, including the American Museum of Natural History's colorful Barnum Brown, star of the 3-D IMAX film, "T. Rex, Back to the Cretaceous." 

If this film, the Discovery Channel's "Walking with Dinosaurs" and Disney's feature "Dinosaurs" have everyone excited about the very ancient past, book a Day Dig at the Tyrrell's Field Station in Drumheller after your visit. Children as young as 4 years study in the museum; kids 7-12 can go out for an afternoon of fieldwork, and kids and adults 10 and older can join an actual crew excavating in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a designated United Nations World Heritage Site. Daily summer programs range from free to $90/day and can be booked online. The Drumheller Regional Chamber of Development & Tourism (403/823-8100) will offer lodging suggestions.