Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience to close after nearly a decade in Cañon City

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) – After nearly 10 years of bringing prehistoric adventures and education to southern Colorado, the Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience (RGDE) will close its doors for good at the end of the year, the attraction announced Wednesday.

According to a post from RGDE, the company will be closing its doors for the final time on Dec. 31.

The family-owned and operated museum initially opened in July 2016, boasting dozens of life-size fossil casts, an outdoor animatronic dinosaur walk, and a three-story ropes course overlooking the Sangre de Cristo Range.

But according to RGDE Director and President Zach Reynolds, shifting business conditions have forced the decision to shut down.

"Dinosaurs may have roamed the world for up to 180 million years, but the RGDE’s journey is now sadly coming to an end,” Reynolds said in a press release. "While scientists think a meteor ended the show for dinosaurs, the business climate for the past several years is ending our run."

Reynolds says gift certificates and memberships will remain valid through the end of the year, and the museum plans to stay open for visitors until its final day.

The company says its 18,000-square-foot building and 36-acre property will also be put up for sale.

In a press release, Reynolds expressed gratitude to the company's staff, community, and partner businesses for supporting the attraction since its opening, calling the experience of running RGDE "the honor of a lifetime."

The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience is located along U.S. Highway 50 just eight miles outside of Cañon City. For more information on the business or its closure, click here.

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