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Dinosaur National Monument's historic Carnegie Dinosaur Quarry shows a snapshot in time at a dig site.
But the Burpee Museum of Natural History's quarry outside Hanksville — opening next week for the season — shows apaleontologists at work in real time.
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry is known as a Jurassic "bone jackpot" for the sheer volume of fossils encased in an ancient riverbed.
The Bureau of Land Management, in partnership with the Burpee, will open the dig site to free public tours starting May 29.
Staffers from the Rockford, Ill.-based Burpee Museum have been leading daily tours at the remote location for seven summers.
Visitors can learn about the creatures currently being uncovered, past excavations and how different the landscape looked when dinosaurs roamed the area. Tour guides will also be available to answer other dino-related questions.
Burpee's excavations have led to discoveries including long-necked sauropods, carnivorous dinosaurs and a rare Jurassic-period armored dinosaur.
Three 45-minute tours will be offered daily, with the exception of May 31. Tours start at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tours, limited to 25 people, are given on a first-come, first-served basis.
The quarry site is roughly 10 miles northwest of Hanksville.
The dirt road into the site can be messy in rainstorms, and tours are only given in good weather conditions. High-clearance vehicles are suggested for the drive into the site from Highway 24.
Call or visit the BLM Utah Field Station in Hanksville, 380 S. 100 West, or call 435-542-3461 for more information.
Details about the quarry site are also available on the BLM website: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/more/cultural/Paleontology/utah_paleontology/color_country_paleontology/hanksville-burpee.html.
Information about the Burpee Museum is available at http://www.burpee.org/.
Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry
• Opens May 29 to the public.
• Free 45-minute tours offered at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
• For directions and other information about the site, call 435-542-3461 or visit: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/more/cultural/Paleontology/utah_paleontology/color_country_paleontology/hanksville-burpee.html.