GPDM celebrates 'Jurassic World' with movie ticket giveaway for Villa

The Montana Dinosaur Trail, a network of 14 museums located across northern, central and eastern Montana, is open and ready for the summer tourism season. After drawing a record number of visitors in 2017, trail partners hope the excitement surrounding the new Jurassic World film ushers another year of record-breaking visitation. This is especially true in Malta, home to two spectacular trail facilities, the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Phillips County Museum and the opening of the latest blockbuster movie July 20, 21 and 22nd at the Villa Theater in Malta.

Montana has strong connections to the “Jurassic Park” film series. The first film opened in fictional Snakewater, Montana, and references Choteau. Dr. Jack Horner, the recently retired Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies, has served as a scientific advisor to the filmmakers. Cary Woodruff, Director of Paleontology at the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum received his degree at MSU Bozeman and studied under Horner states that “we are fortunate to have our own Real-Life Jurassic Park right here.” Great Plains partners with Two Medicine Dinosaur Center to provide Adult Field Experiences (or Dinosaur Digs) each summer. Last year the team worked together on an Edmontosaurus duck-billed dinosaur site in the famous Hell Creek Formation of southern Phillips County. This subadult-sized Edmontosaurus is partially articulated. This year’s participants continue to excavate and jacket bones and learn basic local geology, surveying techniques, how to collect and record scientific data from a site, and how to safely collect and transport fossils. The second (of three) dig opportunities will start July 23rd with diggers coming to Malta from across the US to participate. Details of adult and youth paleo experiences are available at

http://www.greatplainsdinosaurs.org or area residents are encouraged to stop by the museum located on US Highway 2 for additional information.

To celebrate the Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom film debut in Malta, the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum will be giving away 20 movie passes via trivia questions aired on KMMR starting July 18th. All moviegoers attending the Jurassic World moving at the Villa Theatre in Malta will receive free tickets to visit the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta this season.