The Museums of Western Colorado installed new animatronic dinosaurs at Dinosaur Journey Museum in Fruita as part of the museum’s Return of the Roar campaign.

The project marked a major milestone for Dinosaur Journey, restoring movement and immersive storytelling to one of Western Colorado’s most popular family attractions, the museum said in a news release.

“Visitors from around the world consistently share with us how impressed they are by the fossils, science and educational depth at Dinosaur Journey,” said Mollie Shepardson, director of development and communications with the Museums of Western Colorado. “At the same time, we heard clearly from our local community that the animatronic dinosaurs were a beloved part of the experience they missed.

“Return of the Roar aims to bridge that gap, preserving the museum’s strong educational foundation while bringing back the movement and excitement that makes these stories memorable.”

Funded entirely through community donations, the Return of the Roar campaign invited supporters to help revive Dinosaur Journey’s animatronic exhibits. Contributions ranged from grassroots gifts to leadership-level support, demonstrating broad enthusiasm for the museum’s future, the news release said.

The museum invited the western Colorado community to celebrate the Return of the Roar on Jan. 23 at Dinosaur Journey Museum, which features interactive dinosaur exhibits, real fossils and a working paleontology laboratory.

Dinosaur Journey is part of the Museums of Western Colorado, which also operates the Museum of the West in downtown Grand Junction and Cross Orchards Historic Site. Admission to all three sites is available through the museum’s Experience Pass.

The Return of the Roar campaign is one of several ongoing initiatives as the Museums of Western Colorado prepares to celebrate their 60th anniversary, reaffirming their commitment to education, preservation and community connection.

For more information about Dinosaur Journey Museum, visit www.mowc.co.