St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm

St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm is a unique natural history museum built directly on the site of one of the world's most significant paleontological discoveries. Located in the city of St. George, USA, this site allows visitors to literally step back in time and touch the mysteries of the Early Jurassic period.

The main feature of the center is the thousands of fossilized tracks of dinosaurs, fish, and plants around 200 million years old preserved here in their natural position. The museum is designed so you walk on special walkways directly above the ancient silty lake bed where giant lizards once roamed. This makes the site one of the best Jurassic period locations in all of Western North America.

Beyond the impressive footprints, the center features rare fossils, teeth, and bones, as well as interactive exhibits reconstructing the ancient world's ecosystem. This isn't just an exhibition, but an active research center where paleontologists continue to make new discoveries in front of the public.

To clarify details before your visit or to organize group tours, you can use the museum's official contact information. The center's staff are always ready to help tourists with up-to-date information about current exhibits.

Once inside, you can walk across glass walkways laid directly over authentic dinosaur tracks. This offers a rare chance to see the minute details of footprints left millions of years ago. Interactive exhibits, videos, and audio guides help you immerse yourself in the Jurassic atmosphere, explaining exactly how these unique records of life were formed.

Of particular interest is the fossil preparation lab. Through transparent glass, visitors can watch professional paleontologists carefully cleaning and restoring new finds. The museum also features full-scale models of dinosaurs and ancient fish, allowing you to appreciate the true scale of the creatures that inhabited this area in the distant past.

For families with children, there are many activities: from assembling themed puzzles to games in the special Dino Park area. Here, little explorers can try their hand as real scientists by participating in improvised excavations of replica bones. Before leaving, be sure to stop by the gift shop to purchase unique souvenirs that support the center's scientific work.

The museum is located at 2180 E Riverside Dr. It is most convenient to get here by car: a drive from downtown St. George takes only 10–15 minutes. The site has a spacious parking lot, making the visit as comfortable as possible for travelers in rental cars.

If you are planning a major road trip through southern Utah, the Dinosaur Center is an excellent starting point, as it is in close proximity to the routes to Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. Public transport in this area is limited, so as an alternative, it is better to use taxi services or local UTV tours, which allow you to combine a scientific walk with active desert recreation.

The history of this amazing place began relatively recently, in 2000. Local resident and optometrist Dr. Sheldon Johnson was doing routine work leveling a hill on his farm when he accidentally overturned a sandstone slab and discovered a perfectly preserved three-dimensional track of an ancient reptile. This discovery changed the Johnson family's life forever and turned an ordinary pasture into a world-class scientific sensation.

Recognizing the immense value of the find, Sheldon and his wife LaVerna made the noble decision to donate the land and all discovered fossils to the city to create a museum. Through the cooperation of scientists, authorities, and volunteers, the DinosaurAH!torium foundation was established. Instead of excavating the tracks, it was decided to build the facility directly over the discovery site to preserve them in their original context — exactly as they were left 200 million years ago.

Research showed that these prints belong to the Early Jurassic period (Moenave Formation). Not only walking tracks were found here, but also unique evidence of animal behavior: signs of dinosaurs crouching, swimming, and even hunting fish in the ancient Lake Dixie. Since opening in 2005, the center has welcomed more than 900,000 visitors, remaining one of the most significant paleontological sites in North America.

For a standard tour of the museum's main exhibit, walking over the tracks, and seeing the lab, most tourists need 1 to 2 hours. This is plenty of time to thoughtfully explore the interactive displays and take photos with the full-scale dinosaur models.

If you are traveling with children, who will likely want to stay in the Dino Park play area or do some "digging" in the sandbox, you should budget a bit more time. Also, extra hours will be required if you participate in special Fossil Discoveries field tours, which are available by reservation.

The dinosaur center in the USA typically welcomes visitors daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The museum is open seven days a week, which is very convenient for tourists planning their Utah itinerary for any day of the week.

However, the schedule may change on public holidays. To ensure your trip goes without surprises, we strongly recommend checking the current schedule on the official museum website immediately before your visit.

Exploring the surroundings of Johnson Farm can significantly enrich your travel experience. St. George offers many unique locations, from historic homesteads to modern amusement parks, to complement your cultural itinerary.