How can you improve on a life-size replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex? How about making it fully articulated and animatronic so that it seems alive, looking at you hungrily? Everyone in the family can enjoy the incredible Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum 福井県立恐竜博物館. Not only is it the only dedicated dinosaur museum in all of Japan, it is one of the “World’s Three Great Dinosaur Museums” along with the Canadian Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and the Chinese Zigong Dinosaur Museum.
Dinosaur Museum – Fukui
It features over 30 complete dinosaur skeletons, plus many partials and other fossils, minerals, rocks, and related exhibits. In fact, many of them come from Fukui Prefecture itself. One of the main reasons the location for the museum was chosen to be Katsuyama City was because of the number of fossils found in the area. The extensive collection is housed in a well-organized, architecturally interesting modern facility that shows off the role of dinosaurs and how researchers learn more about them.
Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum Grand hall
There are hands-on labs and activities for kids, and adults will enjoy seeing things like the fossil preparation lab where artifacts are painstakingly removed from rock and cleaned. As well as the permanent displays, there is a special exhibit hall, a nice open-air restaurant called ‘DINO’, library, and museum shop where you can get souvenirs such as original museum goods, real fossils, minerals, and dinosaur figures, or even take a photo with the sitting dinosaur in front of the shop.
Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum Dinosaur Exhibits
The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm with last admissions at 4:30 pm. It is closed the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, except from July 21 through August 31 when there are no closing days. The museum is also closed from December 29 through January 2.
Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum main hall
Playground at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Admission is 700 yen for adults, 400 yen for high school and college students, and 250 yen for elementary or junior high school students. Anyone over 70 years old or under 6 years old can enter for free.
It is located in Nagaoyama Park in Katsuyama City, about 10 minutes by car from the Echizen Railway Station.
Address is 51-11 Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui 911-8601.
The website has extensive information in English: http://www.dinosaur.pref.fukui.jp/en/
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