Dinosaur Ridge

What Dinosaur Ridge does

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that operates an outdoor paleontology and geology museum on the Morrison-Golden Fossil Areas National Natural Landmark in Colorado, approximately 20 minutes west of Denver. The organization preserves and interprets a paleontologist-rated #1 U.S. dinosaur tracksite with ~300+ in-situ dinosaur tracks and the historic 1876 Stegosaurus discovery site, hosting 250,000+ visitors annually through two visitor centers (Main Visitor Center in Morrison; Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center in Golden, housing the 2026-launched Deep Time Detour exhibition with six immersive zones) and two trails (Dinosaur Ridge Trail and Triceratops Trail). Guided offerings include 45-minute bus tours ($20 adult / $14 child), 2-hour walking tours, and "Walk with a Geologist" experiences, supported by photogrammetry and 3D imaging for erosion monitoring and track documentation.

The organization serves multiple primary segments: K–12 school groups (13,000–15,000 students annually, 30% from Title I schools), families with children, general Denver-metro tourists, and children ages 5–13 attending single-day and five-day summer, winter, and spring break camps. Revenue streams are diversified across admissions and tour fees, an annual membership program ($50 Individual / $85 Dual / $130 Family-NARM), donations (monthly giving, bequests, Colorado Gives Day), corporate and event sponsorships, retail gift shop sales, the Stegosaurus State Fossil license plate program, camps, and facility rentals. GTM is direct-to-consumer with event-driven and community-led overlays: over 100 volunteers contribute 8,000–10,000 hours annually, and marketing spans the website, eTracks newsletter (4,500+ subscribers), The Land Before Podcast, Instagram (66K+ on director's account), Facebook (13K+), earned media (Washington Post, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain PBS), and special events including the Rock Out for the Ridge gala and the Dino Ridge Science Quiz Bowl broadcast on Rocky Mountain PBS.

Operations are led by Executive Director Jeff Lamontagne (joined 2017), Director of Paleontology Amy Atwater (first-ever, appointed January 2025), Director of Operations Will Bottoms, Director of Marketing & Development Kristen Kidd, Director of Camp & Collections Amanda Rea, and Director of Education Programs Erin LaCount — supported by a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors and cross-institutional partnerships with Colorado School of Mines, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Morrison Natural History Museum, RTD (Westracks shuttle), and Jefferson County Open Space (land owner). The organization is governed and funded independently with no parent company or equity ownership.

Name

Dinosaur Ridge

Legal name

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge

Website

https://dinoridge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is a Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an outdoor paleontology museum and #1-ranked dinosaur tracksite, serving families, K–12 schools, and Denver-metro tourists through guided tours, immersive exhibitions, camps, and educational programs at two visitor centers and two fossil trails.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural History Museum / Outdoor Paleontology Museum

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Historical Sites (71212), Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB), Geotourism & Geology/Volcano/National Monument Tours (THAAAEAG), Natural History Museums (THAJADAC), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

Keywords

• Outdoor paleontology museum
• Fossil preservation site
• Science education programs
• Guided fossil tours
• Natural history exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission and Tour Fees: Revenue from guided bus tours ($20 adults, $14 children), walking tours, and Deep Time Detour exhibition tickets ($12 adults, $10 kids). Morrison Dino Pass provides combined admission to Dinosaur Ridge and Morrison Natural History Museum.
2. Membership Program: Annual memberships at three levels: Individual ($50), Dual ($85), and Family/NARM ($130). Members receive guided tour benefits, exhibit hall access, gift shop discounts, and invitations to exclusive events.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through various vehicles including monthly giving, bequests, IRAs, appreciated securities, employer matching, donor-advised funds, and vehicle donations. Colorado Gives Day participation.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships for events (Rock Out for the Ridge gala, Girl Scouts Day, Quiz Bowl) and programs (Field Experience Fund, Deep Time Detour exhibition).
5. Field Experience Sponsorship: Annual sponsorships supporting school field trips for low-income students ($5,000/year for 1,650+ students, or $20,000 for 4-year commitment covering 20,000 students).
6. Retail Sales: Gift shop sales at visitor centers featuring gems, minerals, fossil replicas, toys, and merchandise including the Stegosaurus license plate merchandise.
7. Stegosaurus License Plate Program: Colorado state fossil license plate program. $50 donation generates a PIN for DMV registration. Friends of Dinosaur Ridge is the designated beneficiary.
8. Camp Programs: Single-day and five-day summer camps, winter break camps, and spring break camps for children ages 5-13. Licensed Colorado childcare programs eligible for Colorado Child Care Tax Credit.
9. Special Events: Birthday party packages, corporate events, and facility rentals for filming and photography.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Dinosaur Ridge operates a nonprofit outdoor paleontology museum and National Natural Landmark in Morrison, Colorado, where visitors view 300+ fossilized dinosaur tracks preserved in their original sandstone setting. The organization sells guided bus and walking tours, walk-with-a-geologist experiences, immersive prehistoric exhibitions including the Deep Time Detour, school and group field trip programs, summer and break camps, birthday parties, and a Stegosaurus state fossil license plate program to fund fossil preservation. Revenue is supplemented by annual memberships, gift shop retail, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Dinosaur Ridge is a nonprofit outdoor museum and educational organization offering a unified portfolio of visitor experiences centered on fossil preservation and paleontology education. The core offering includes two visitor centers (Main Visitor Center and Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center), two fossil trails (Dinosaur Ridge Trail and Triceratops Trail), and guided tour programs (bus and walking). The flagship Deep Time Detour Exhibition at the Discovery Center represents a major immersive installation featuring six prehistoric-themed zones. Additional offerings include school/group programs, summer and break camps, the TriceraTOTs preschool program, birthday parties, travel/field programs, Speakers Bureau, and a virtual education portal. The organization also offers a Morrison Dino Pass for combined visits with Morrison Natural History Museum, a Stegosaurus license plate program, and The Land Before Podcast. Membership tiers provide tiered access to tours, exhibits, and discounts. The entire portfolio serves to educate visitors about Colorado's fossil heritage while funding preservation efforts at this National Natural Landmark.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deep Time Detour: An immersive prehistoric Colorado exhibition featuring six exhibit zones showcasing Colorado's ancient past from 300 million years ago through the Ice Age.

Products and services

• Guided Bus Tour 45-minute guided bus tour with an interpretive guide through the dinosaur tracksite, the most popular visitor experience at Dinosaur Ridge. $20/adult (12+), $14/child (3-11), free for ages 2 and under. Spanish-language tours available on request.
• Guided Walking Tour Small-group 1.5-mile guided walking tour along the paved trail of several fossil sites; 2-hour duration; weekends only. Includes geology and natural-history interpretation.
• Walk with a Geologist Tour Premium 2 to 2.5-hour weekend experience led by a local geologist with in-depth paleontology and geology education. Weekends only.
• Deep Time Detour Exhibition Immersive six-zone prehistoric Colorado exhibition at the Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center showcasing 300 million years of Colorado history with lifelike replicas, hands-on displays, and photo opportunities. $12 adults, $10 kids (ages 3-12), ages 2 and under free. $2 discount for Westracks shuttle riders.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership in three tiers — Individual ($50/year), Dual ($85/year), and Family/NARM ($130/year) — providing guided tour benefits, unlimited exhibit hall access, gift shop discounts (15-20%), member events, and North American Reciprocal Museum Association access at the Family/NARM level.
• Morrison Dino Pass Combined-admission pass for Dinosaur Ridge (Bus Tour and Exhibit Halls) and Morrison Natural History Museum. $34 adults (12+), $22 children (3-11), free for ages 2 and under.
• Summer and Break Camps Single-day and five-day camps for children ages 5-13 offered during Jefferson County summer, winter, and spring breaks, focused on hands-on paleontology and geology. Licensed Colorado childcare programs eligible for the Colorado Child Care Tax Credit.
• School and Group Field Trip Programs On-site and virtual field trip experiences for public, private, and homeschool K-12 groups at every grade level, aligned with state curriculum guidelines in earth science and STEM.
• Virtual Classroom Programs and Resources Online portal with activities and exercises for remote learning about fossils and geology at Dinosaur Ridge for students who cannot visit in person.
• TriceraTOTs Preschool Program Crafts and story-time program designed for children ages 2-5 to encourage curiosity and hands-on learning through projects at Dinosaur Ridge.
• Dinosaur Discovery Days Themed days including Girl Scouts Day and Boy Scouts Day offering free entry to the Exhibit Hall along with activity booths and educational displays in geology, paleontology, and earth science.
• Birthday Party Packages Celebration packages held in a unique dinosaur-themed setting for children's birthdays, including access to the exhibit hall and trail area.
• Travel and Field Programs Day trips and weekend excursions for adults to dig sites, fossil areas, and other paleontology museums led by Dinosaur Ridge.
• Speakers Bureau Expert speakers available for in-person or virtual presentations on Dinosaur Ridge's history, fossils, and paleontology to groups, clubs, and organizations.
• Stegosaurus State Fossil License Plate Program Colorado specialty license plate program featuring the Stegosaurus design with 'Protect Our Fossils' tagline. A one-time $50 donation to Friends of Dinosaur Ridge generates a PIN for DMV ordering; available for regular vehicles and motorcycles.
• Field Experience Fund Corporate Sponsorship Corporate sponsorship program funding subsidized field trips for low-income K-12 students. $5,000/year supports 1,650+ students; $20,000 over four years supports 20,000 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Educates 13,000+ school children each year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rocky Mountain PBScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2025Rocky Mountain PBS partners with Dinosaur Ridge to broadcast and stream the Dino Ridge Science Quiz Bowl. The competition is videotaped and edited into a 30-minute show for statewide broadcast, showcasing youth academic achievement and science education.
• Colorado School of MinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2025Host venue for the Annual Dino Ridge Science Quiz Bowl competition at Marquez Hall and The Green Center. Inspires high school students considering STEM careers while showcasing the university campus.
• Jefferson County Open SpacecoreOthers · 1 January 2025Jefferson County Open Space owns Dinosaur Ridge land and is committed to preserving and protecting the natural resources while providing a delightful visitor experience. FODR operates under agreement with the county.
• TRX DinosaurscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024TRX Dinosaurs designed and created immersive, state-of-the-art exhibits for the Deep Time Detour exhibition at Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center. Created nearly 30 individual sculptures including lifelike replicas and animatronic displays.
• MHK ArchitecturecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024MHK Architecture created new floorplans for the Martin G. Lockley Discovery Center remodel at no cost. Provided architectural design services for the Deep Time Detour exhibition space.
• BNBuilderscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024BNBuilders brought the Deep Time Detour vision to life by providing construction services close to their cost. Helped keep expenses low while creating a welcoming space to showcase Colorado's prehistoric past.
• Morrison Natural History MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Morrison Dino Pass offering combined admission to both Dinosaur Ridge and Morrison Natural History Museum ($34 adults, $22 kids). Cross-promotional partnership for dinosaur enthusiasts visiting the Morrison area.
• RTD (Regional Transportation District)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRTD Westracks free weekend shuttle connects Golden, Morrison, Dinosaur Ridge, and Red Rocks every 15 minutes. Shuttle riders receive $2 off Deep Time Detour admission, providing accessible transit to the attraction.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/dinosaur.ridge
• Xx.com/DinosaurRidgeCO
• Facebookfacebook.com/DinoRidge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-dinosaur-ridge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dinosaur Ridge