This splendid museum, opened in 1985, has a fine setting in the badlands and blends well with its surroundings in a series of innovative structures designed by Douglas Craig of Calgary. It also uses its surrounds to teach its lessons. Inside, the highlight is the enormous Dinosaur Hall, where the major types of dinosaurs formerly inhabiting this area are re-created, some with original fossils, others with modern casting materials. The museum's main theme is a "celebration of life," featuring displays and films on such topics as the creation of the universe, evolutionary theories, diverse environments, the age of the dinosaurs and the mystery of their disappearance, mammals and the ice ages.