Waco Mammoth National Monument - Waco, TX

What is the Waco Mammoth National Monument? 

The Waco Mammoth Site is a unique paleontological find which represents the nation's only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Colombian mammoths. The site was actually first discovered in 1978, but was not opened to the public until 2009 as a city park. In 2015, the site became a National Monument. 

Location: 

Waco, TX 

Cost: 

• Adults: $5
• Seniors (over 60): $4
• Military (with ID): $4
• Educators (with ID): $4
• Students (7th grade through college): $4
• Children (preK through 6th Grade): $3
• Infants (ages 3 and under): Free

Adventure Highlights: 

The kids loved the interactive stations to participate in. We made fossils cups, touched replica teeth of mammoths, talked to the rangers, and searched for bones.  The day we visited there was a record number of people in attendance at the park. We were lucky to get some of the last tickets sold. There is a cap on the number of tickets sold for the tour, which happens every 1/2 hour. 

The dig site is located in a beautiful park that is well maintained. To get to the site, visitors take a path to the area where the bones are housed. The bones are in situ, this means they are in their exact location within the bone bed.

Presently, they have discovered 24 Columbian mammoths and other mammals from the Pleistocene Epoch. It is believed that these mammoths died in a flash flood.  The painting on the wall is the size of an actual Columbian mammoth. They weighted 10 ton (20,000 pounds).

The kids were engaged with the rangers, and asked lots of questions. Derek said this is his second favorite place we have been. No small feet seeing this is state #28 on our adventure.