Wembley aka Dinosaur Town is a Palaeontology Playground for All Ages

For Cory and Dustin Wickberg and their two kids, Kyle (11) and Chelsey (9), Wembley was #dinotrail stop 1. Hailing from nearby Sexsmith, they knew about the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, the town’s rich natural history and Pipestone Creek Bonebed (where one of the world’s richest fossil deposits lies). 

But it wasn’t until recently that they stopped putting off a family visit. And they were quickly glad they did. 

So why visit this little-known northern prairie town? The number one reason is obvious: the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum.

Think of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum as the Royal Tyrrell’s much younger sibling. Built in 2015, the 3800-square metre facility houses a unique collection based on dinosaurs found in the region. 

But it’s far more than that. The museum has geared itself towards hands-on, up close experiences. Beyond exploring the collections, you can go inside the lab itself, to watch and learn as the scientists work (they're happy to chat with you, so don't be afraid to ask questions!). And you can meet live animal descendants of the dinosaur age.

But the signature tours should top any dino lover’s list. On the Palaeontologist for a Day adventure, you can bone up—pun intended—on your amateur palaeo skills in the field at a bonebed. 

Or, on The Secrets of the Wapiti raft tour, you can float down the Wapiti River on a guided fossil hunt, as scientists connect you to the region’s natural history. 

(You can follow along on the latter, in this story on stop #2 on the Wickbergs’ #dinotrail adventure.)

The establishment of the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum has definitely woken up the sleeping beasts of yore, but all of this grew out of the discovery of the fossils in the Pipestone Creek, just a 15-minute drive from town. 

That story begins with high school teacher Al Lakusta meandering up the Pipestone Creek bed in the 1970s, and happening on a large dinosaur fossil. Over the subsequent years, as they sifted through layer on layer of fossil bones, palaeontologists eventually determined the area to be one of the world’s richest bonebeds. 

As museum curator and lead scientist Dr. Emily Bamforth puts it, “It was a really bad day for dinosaurs, but a great day for palaeontology.”

It’s taken some time to go from bones in a creek to a full-fledged international level dinosaur museum site, but the town is—pun intended—embracing its evolution (which, if you’re a dinosaur lover, is only fitting, right?). 

In 2023, Wembley decided to build itself out as Dinosaur Town, and therein lies the appeal for an extended visit beyond the museum. Coming soon, animatronic dinosaurs will inhabit the town’s biggest park, Sunset Park, which backs onto a small lake and wetlands.

There’s a natural boardwalk, spray park and playground, as well as groves of willow and tall, mature cottonwoods that dance in the light prairie breezes. It’s the perfect place to let loose after some adventures in learning at the museum. 

Not far from the park, the Corner Grocery Store has joined in on the dino game with dino models throughout the store, dining on ice cream and attacking displays. The kids soon had their cones and were licking happily in the gazebo park across from the store, a satisfying afternoon treat. 

And of course, no trip to Wembley would be complete without a visit to the site that started it all, at Pipestone Creek Park. Ending the day here with a picnic, the Wickbergs meander down to the Wapiti River as the sun lingers in the northern sky, to pick rocks and perhaps ponder the remarkable passage of time.

WHEN YOU GO 

Wembley is a small town just 20 minutes west of Grande Prairie, AB.

Getting there
from Grande Prairie: drive 20 min west on AB-43W 

Where to stay, eat and play
You can camp right at Pipestone Creek Park, in the heart of dinosaur territory. Or, for hotels and other accommodations, check out the Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association. 

Sunset Park is found at 10128 99 Ave, in the Town of Wembley.

For Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum information visit the museum website.