Dinosaur Museum

What it is

The Tiempo de Dinosaurios Museum (Temps de Dinosaures, in Valencian) is a small geology and palaeontology museum in Plaza de Sant Miquel, beside the gate through which almost everyone enters the town. It presents the visit as a journey "to the centre of the earth" through Cretaceous fossils found in the district. Morella and Els Ports have strata formed between the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous, some 146 to 98 million years ago, and the clays of that era have preserved many dinosaur remains: carnivorous theropods, large herbivores, ornithopods and armoured dinosaurs have turned up here.

The most impressive piece is the life-size replica of an iguanodon, the species most often found and studied in the area. Around it, the display cases gather Cretaceous fossils found in the district. Allow about 45 minutes for the visit, a little more if you do the escape room.

The escape room, included

Inside the museum there is an escape room for families or groups of friends, "Escape in dinosaur time". The story: the map of the last dig site has been stolen from the laboratory of the palaeontologist Andrea. You play by scanning QR codes spread through the rooms and following clues between the display cases, with under 30 minutes to find the map. It is included in the ticket, but must be booked beforehand by phone, on 607 626 505.

Hours and tickets

Tuesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays. General admission costs €3; reduced, €2.50, for over-65s, children aged 6 to 16, students under 25 with a card, Carnet Jove, people with disabilities, large families and single-parent families. Groups of more than 25 pay €2 per person and accompanied children under 6 do not pay. The ticket desk accepts cash and card.

It is not an accessible space: there are steps before the entrance and no lift to the upper floors. Pets are not admitted. For questions, the tourist office answers on 964 17 30 32 and on WhatsApp on 661 42 52 94.

The real footprints: Pasos de Dino

If the museum leaves you wanting more, the Pasos de Dino route takes you to see real footprints. It leaves from the Sant Miquel towers, crosses the Gothic aqueduct and follows the Camí de Xiva to the Mas de Romeu site, where sauropods left their tracks between 122 and 123 million years ago. The tourist office does not publish the distance or duration in its listing; the map and information for planning the outing are at dinosmorella.es.

How to fit it into the day

It is at the entrance to the old town, so it works well at the start or end of your stroll. The Sant Miquel towers are next door and the arcaded street begins a few metres away. For parking, the nearest is the Paseo Jaume I car park, outside the wall.