What to Do in Drumheller: Playgrounds, Dinos, & More!

Have you heard of Drumheller, the Dinosaur capital of the world? Drumheller is a great destination for families, but you may be wondering what to do in Drumheller other than climbing up the World’s Largest T-Rex?

Drumheller is loaded with Dinosaur statues around town, but there are so many more things to see in Drumheller, from dinosaur-themed playgrounds to unique (even almost surreal) landscapes.

So, today, we’re going to share what to do in Drumheller. But first, let’s talk a bit about this region’s history.

Disclaimer: Just a heads up, this free article contains affiliate links. If you purchase after clicking one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps me continue to provide helpful and free content for you.

Where (& What) Is Drumheller?

Drumheller is a small town located 110 kilometers northeast of Calgary. It’s a part of a larger region called “Red Deer,” though Drumheller is often called the “Dinosaur Valley.”

That’s because this area is world-renown for the dinosaur fossils that have been found there over the years.

The official town was started by Samuel Drumheller, whom the town was named after. He purchased the land back in 1911 and started a railway station in 1912. The area later became a village, and a bit later, Drumheller became an official town.

Over the last few hundred years, the city has expanded a bit and absorbed other surrounding communities in the Red Deer Badlands area.

And while all that is well and good, we know what you’re really wondering: what to do in Drumheller?

Thinking of renting a rooftop tent in Calgary? Add this item to your list!

What to Do in Drumheller

We highly recommend checking out Drumheller for at least a day, but a multi-day getaway is ideal. With a few days, you’ll really experience the area and have time for all the fun things to see in Drumheller.

All the attractions we’re covering in this post are activities that your whole family will love (and it’s a great way to fill up a day if you’re looking for things to do around Calgary). It’s a great stop to do on an Alberta road trip.

Our family has had the pleasure of going a few times to Drumheller. The kids loved it each time.

Let’s dive into what to do in Drumheller And if you haven’t done it yet, don’t forget to download our 3-day itinerary in Drumheller and the Canadian Badlands.

1. Visit the Hoodoos

When Emilie first told me about the “hoodoos” in Drumheller, I was certain we were dealing with a language issue–which DOES still happen. (Our current debate is whether “same-same but different” is an actual expression in English).

That said, she was right on this specific topic, and the Drumheller hoodoos are an awesome place to let the kids do a bit of exploring.

So if you don’t know what “hoodoos” are, don’t worry. I didn’t, either.

Evidently, these are spires of rock that come up from the ground. The column portion has usually been eroded, but the top part (or the “cap”) is harder and more sturdy.

As a result, you’re left with a “mushroom” type rock that can be really tall:

Due to their odd shape, hoodoos are often used in folklore. They’re sometimes called “fairy chimneys.”

👍 Why We Loved The Drumheller Hoodoos: There is a small parking lot with some food trucks where you can stop for a snack or for lunch (there are picnic tables there).

Then you can go explore the hoodoos, but that means you really get to explore.

There are some trails, but the kids get to safely climb up rocks and feel like real adventurers. That said, everything is safe in the main areas.

I DID hike to the top of the mountain with our oldest, Noah, who was 3 y/o at the time. It’s pretty steep toward the top, but you get an awesome view of the region.

The problem was getting back down. It was very windy, and I won’t lie: I was nervous about slipping at times.

If you do have small children, make sure to wear tough hiking boots if you want to explore higher up the trails.

But, again, the area toward the parking lot was spacious and had lots of room for the kids to do some natural exploring.

You’re looking for S Railway Avenue/AB-10/AB-56 South.

It’s roughly 15 kilometers from the downtown area.

🎟️Price: depending on the time of year and day, there might be a small entrance fee 📍How to Get There: If you’re coming from Calgary or Banff, you’ll likely drive to Drumheller using AB-9 East following the Hoodoo Trail. As you drive through the downtown area in Drumheller, everything is marked, so you shouldn’t get lost.

2. Visit the World’s Largest T-Rex Dinosaur

In Drumheller, you can see the largest dinosaur statue in the world. Tyra, the T-Rex, is 26.3 meters (86 feet) tall and 46 meters (151 feet) long.

Plus, you can walk up into the T-Rex and look down at the world from inside the dinosaur’s mouth. There are 106 stairs to climb to go to the top.

There is a gift shop with public bathrooms but be warned: once your kids go through that gift shop, it’ll be hard to get them out without some kind of dinosaur toy (or tantrum).

To kids’ credit, the gift shop does have some pretty cool stuff in there.

What we really loved, though, was all the little dinosaur attractions at the same stop. Yes, you can see the world’s largest dinosaur. However, there are other dinosaur statues to walk around with and take pictures of.

Plus, there’s a big grassy field with picnic tables for lunch, a convenience store across the stress for ice cream, and an aqua center with a waterslide.

In the summer months, the outdoor area has a public water splash park that can be a lot of fun for the kids, too. It’s a great place to cool off for a few hours.

Again, call ahead before going to make sure you can go up (but honestly, don’t let that be the deciding factor… you should totally go anyways).

You almost literally can’t miss it!

🎟️ Price: The general stop is accessible. To go into the dinosaur, kids under 5 y/o are free. Otherwise, it’s $5/person or $15/family.      📍 How to Get There: If you’re coming from Calgary or Banff, you’ll likely drive to Drumheller using AB-9 East. Then follow the signs for the “World’s Largest Dinosaur” or the sign for the visitor center.        

3. The Dinosaur Trail

This is definitely a drive that you should take for naptime. Emilie and I grabbed a coffee and tried to get the kids to nap in the car (I don’t think it worked).

This is a fun 48-kilometer loop with incredible views of the Canadian Badlands. We planned about 2 hours for this to really enjoy it, but if you plan to do the Horsethief Canyon hike, you may want to plan for at least half a day.

To be honest, there isn’t much for toddlers to appreciate on the South part of the Dinosaur Trail (at least ours don’t love site-seeing as much as they love the park), but it can be a great drive for you and your partner to relax, catch up a bit, and take in the beautiful landscape.

Older kids will enjoy learning about the history and imagining real dinosaurs roaming around over 75 million years ago.

Here’s one thing to keep in mind: after a spot called “Horsethief Canyon,” you’ll cross the river on the oldest cable ferry in North America, the Bleriot Ferry.

It was originally built by Andre Bleriot, the brother of Louis Blériot, the first one to fly across the English Channel (cool, right?).

While the idea of stepping back in time to a cable ferry sounds like lots of fun, it’s a SLOW process. It took us 20 – 30 minutes to get across, and we only had to wait for one load of cars before us.

On busier days, you’ll want to make sure there isn’t a huge line. Otherwise, you’ll sit in traffic for a few hours, which, to us, wouldn’t have been worth it.

If you do the entire loop, however, there are loads of places to step out and take pictures. On your self-guided tour of the Dinosaur Trail loop, don’t miss:

• Homestead Antique Museum*
• Fossil World Dinosaur Museum and the Lion’s kids’ playground*
• Midland Coal Mine in Midland Provincial Park
• McMullen Island*
• Drumheller’s Little Church
• Horse Thief Canyon*
• Bleriot Ferry
• Orkney Viewpoint
• Andrew Farm Old Grain Elevator

*Places that are more fun for kids

🎟️ Price: Free (which made us wonder how they maintain the cable ferry…)                              📍 How to get there: Just follow the sign for Dinosaur Trail.

4. Barney’s Adventure Park

Barney’s Adventure Park is one of those places where your kids (and even you) will want to spend the entire day. It’s a huge outdoor playground on 15 acres of land in the middle of the Canadian Badlands.

When visiting Barney’s Adventure Park, you’ll want to plan for at least half a day, if not an entire day, since there are so many fun things to do for the entire family.

The day pass gives you access to all the fun activities, such as:

• Petting zoo Drumheller
• Cart racing
• Ziplines
• Buffalo jumping pillows
• Ball games
• Rope course
• Giant checkers
• Gems panning (extra cost for the gems kit)
• And so much more

There is also a beautiful path into the forest where you can see wild Alberta roses and … dinosaurs.

During your Drumheller Dino Walk, you’ll encounter more than 15 giant articulated dinosaurs. It may be scary for little kids as dinosaurs move and make noises.

🎟️Price: $23/person for all-day access, free for 3 year old and under                                     📍How to get there: Follow the sign on Dinosaur Trail North

5. Bikes & Bites Experience

Drumheller is a great place for a bike ride, either along the Red Deer River or into the Canadian Badlands. In fact, there is a nice 14-km bike trail that goes into Drumheller downtown and into the Badlands.

Bikes & Bites offers eBike rentals and picnic baskets. It’s a unique and fun way to explore Drumheller and the valley. Plus, you don’t have to worry about packing lunch. The lovely owners of Bikes & Bites will take care of it.

They offer eBikes to rent, but riders must be 12 years old and over to be allowed to rent those eBikes. But, if you are traveling with kids, there are a few other options for you.

Bikes & Bites also have a child carrier, standard youth bikes and ride-along kids extensions which makes it perfect for a family bike ride adventure.

A map of the bike trail system in the Drumheller area can be found here.

🎟️Price: $40 per eBike for a 2h rental ($95 for the full day), $16,50 for a picnic combo including a sandwich, side, and drink.                                                                                           📍Location: The rental and coffee shop is located inside the Badlands Community (80 Veterans Way)

6. Atlas Coal Mine Historic Park

The Atlas Coal Mine Historic Park used to be an active coal mine from 1936 to 1979. At its peak, the Atlas Coak mine was employing more than 200 miners and was operating all year round.

Atlas Coal Mine is the last of the 139 mines that were operating in the Drumheller Valley.

A visit to the Atlas Coal Mine is a step back in time where the family can learn about the mining industry and how dangerous it was to be a miner.

For the full experience, half a day would be needed to explore the mine. We sadly got caught in the rain right after our guided train ride. We didn’t see all there was to see, but it still was a great experience.

Kids will definitely want to board the old electric train and learn how the train transported the miners through the mines. There are also a few other guided tours that are offered, but some are not ideal for little kids (lots of stairs or in the dark).

🎟️ Price: $12.50/Adult, free 6 y/o and under, additional cost for guided tours 📍Location: the mine is located in East Coulee, about 20 minutes east of Drumheller, a little pass the hoodoos.

7. Drumheller Playground

After the small nap, we wanted to get our kids to run around. Fortunately, there’s a neat little shop not far from the Royal Tyrell Museum (which we’ll talk about a bit later).

While the museum was closed on our visit, we did find a fun little store with dinosaur sculptures and a public park.

There were 2 things we really liked about this park.

First, it was great for the kids. They’re still young (aged 2 and 4), and it was perfect for them. Kids older than 7 or 8 y/o might find it a little boring, though there’s a grassy area if you have a soccer ball on hand.

Second, this is where local residents come to play. On both occasions we went, we met people from Red Deer or Drumheller who had brought their kids to the park.

It was a great way to meet people and get recommendations about the area.

Plus, there’s a HUGE brontosaurus statue which was fun for the kids to see.

🎟️Price: Free.                                                                                                                                  📍 Location: As you’re heading north on 56, turn left at Grove Avenue and left at Poplar St. It’s next to The Fossil Shop, and it’s hard to miss (that Brontosaurus statue is no joke).

8. East Coulee School Museum

The East Coulee School Museum is a restored schoolhouse from the 1930s. It proposes different exhibits and hands-on activities showing the region’s coal mining past. The museum shows this historic 12-classroom school where each room shows a different exhibit: a 1930s classroom, a coal miner’s shack, a fossil room and so much more.

If you are traveling with young kids, there will love playing outside in the original playground structures.

Inside the museum is also a tearoom, the Willow Tea Room Cafe, where you can enjoy homemade soup and pie in addition to coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.

🎟️ Price: free, additional cost for the cafe.                                                                                 📍 Location: the mine is located in East Coulee, about 20 minutes east of Drumheller, a little past the hoodoos.

Other Things to Do in Drumheller

So far in this post, we covered how we spent a really great day in Drumheller with kids. That said, this isn’t an exhaustive list of things to do.

You might also want to check out some of these other attractions:

🏛️Royal Tyrell Museum

The Royal Tyrell Museum is the best Museum to learn all about Dinosaurs. Kids here will enjoy the fossil dig pit, pretending to be a paleontologist and uncovering real fossils buried in the sand.

The museum also has an outdoor area where kids can explore a life-sized skeleton of a T-Rex and other dinosaurs.

🏞️ Midland Provincial Park

One of the best activities to do with kids is to visit Drumheller Park, the Midland Provincial Park.

Kids here will love exploring the trails. With over 9 meters of trails winding through the park, it offers an excellent opportunity for children to get out and experience nature.

Kids can enjoy seeing different wildlife and plants while enjoying the area’s natural beauty. The trails also offer opportunities for hiking, biking, and observing birds and other animals from a safe distance.

The picnic areas are also a great way to relax together as a family while enjoying lunch or snacks outdoors.

💎 The Badlands Amphitheater

If you’re visiting Drumheller in summer, don’t forget to experience the Badlands Passion Play in the Badlands Amphitheater! Another great way to experience Drumheller’s unique atmosphere.

Located in downtown Drumheller, this outdoor venue hosts local and touring musicians worldwide. With its open-air design, majestic and natural stone backdrop, the amphitheater provides an ideal setting for live performances while relaxing in nature’s beauty.

Don’t forget to bring your water, hat, sunscreen, and some snacks.

⛪ Drumheller Little Church

The small church was built as a place of worship for the local community. The church can accommodate 6 people at the same time, and Inside are wooden pews, beautiful stained glass windows, and a small altar.

It’s a great place to relax and reflect on life while enjoying all the beauty surrounding you.

🏜️ Horseshoe Canyon

The Red Deer River has carved the canyon over time, giving visitors a stunning view of Alberta’s badlands’ unique and natural beauty. It’s a great way to get outside and explore this amazing landscape – you can even take a guided tour for the whole experience!

Many hiking trails along the edge of the canyon wind through ancient spruce trees and offer incredible vistas of the area. The best part is that it’s free, so don’t forget to bring your camera!

🏘️ Ghost Town of Wayne

Wayne is an abandoned coal mining town offering a fascinating glimpse into Alberta’s history. The deserted streets and abandoned buildings give visitors a unique insight into what life was like in Wayne during its heyday.

It’s well worth taking time to wander around and take photos of this town. You can still visit the two remaining businesses here, the Last Chance Saloon and the Rosedeer Hotel.

Planning a Trip to Drumheller: Tips & Tricks 

Pack the right gear

When traveling with kids, you’ll want to pack light (as much as you can). Having a good carry-on suitcase and packing cubes are a lifesaver. Depending on the age of your kids and the type of travel, you might be better with a kid’s carrier (perfect for adventure trips).

How to Get to Drumheller

The closest airport to Drumheller is the Calgary International Airport (YYZ). You can find flights using Google Flights or Skyscanner.

Book Your Accommodation in Drumheller

Booking.com is a great search engine for hotels and guesthouses in Drumheller. For hotels, we loved our stay at the Tyrannosaurus Rest B&B. For campgrounds, we loved the Horseshoe Canyon Campground near the Horseshoe Canyon.

Rent Your Car or Campervan in Calgary

Having your own transportation is better to really enjoy Drumheller. DiscoverCars.Com is a good search engine for car rentals. Outdoorsy and Escape Campervans are great for RV and campervan rental in Calgary.

Download a Few Apps to Help You Plan

The AllTrails app is a great resource for up-to-date trail reports. The GoWhee app is the perfect app for finding fun kid-friendly activities.

Book your Tours

Viator and Get Your Guide are two great websites for finding fun and unique tours around the world. It can help you make a memorable bucket list trip.

Don’t forget a First Aid Kit

Take a travel first aid kit with you when hiking with toddlers. Make sure it is well-stocked, especially with bite/sting cream and band-aids – you never know when unsteady little legs might take a tumble. Keep your travel first aid kit somewhere accessible.

Need Help Planning Your Itinerary of Drumheller? Let me help you plan your custom itinerary.

FAQS: What to Do in Drumheller

What river runs through Drumheller?

The Red Deer River runs through Drumheller, Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and winds its way through the region known as the Canadian Badlands.

Is Drumheller worth visiting?

Yes, Drumheller is worth visiting! It has much to offer, from its breathtaking badlands scenery to its world-famous Royal Tyrrell Museum. There are also many unique attractions, like the World’s Largest Dinosaur, and various outdoor activities, such as hiking, camping, and biking, best for families, couples, solo travelers, or groups of friends.

Closest Airport to Drumheller Alberta?

The Calgary International Airport (YYC) is the closest airport to Drumheller, Alberta. And the cheapest and fastest way to reach Drumheller from the airport is by town car, which takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.

What dinosaurs were found in Drumheller?

Two dinosaurs found in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, the Tyrannosaurus and Edmontosaurus, belonged to the same family of dinosaurs called hadrosaurs. The Tyrannosaurus was a giant carnivorous dinosaur. The Edmontosaurus, also known as a duck-billed dinosaur, was much larger than the Tyrannosaurus.

Why is Drumheller known for dinosaurs?

Because there are many dinosaur fossils and skeletons have been discovered in this area, making it one of the most important sites for paleontological research and discovery.

What is Drumheller known for?

Drumheller is known as the “Dinosaur Capital of the World” because it is home to one of the world’s richest deposits of Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils.

Can you go inside a dinosaur in Drumheller?

Yes, visitors can go inside Drumheller Dinosaurs. At the World’s Largest Dinosaur, near the Royal Tyrrell Museum, visitors can climb 106 steps to reach the top of the Drumheller’s largest dinosaur structure and look over the valley.

Final Thoughts: What To Do in Drumheller

In short, Drumheller is a unique and fun place to visit. Its exciting and prehistoric attractions make it a great family destination.

Spend your day exploring the Royal Tyrrell Museum, taking the kids to a playground near the scenic Badlands, or checking out the World’s Largest Dinosaur.

There’s no doubt that you’ll create unforgettable memories with your family here in Drumheller.

So if you ever find yourself in Alberta with free time, ask yourself: What to do in Drumheller? The answer should be clear.

Make sure to plan before your visit and let the memories roll in – you won’t regret it! 🙂

Related Articles

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read the following articles:

• Things to Do in Drumheller Valley and the Alberta Badlands
• The Ultimate 7-Day Calgary, Banff, & Jasper Itinerary
• The Best Drumheller Bed and Breakfast: The Tyrannosaurus Rest