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Submitted
Sternberg Museum of Natural History will host another blockbuster dinosaur exhibit set to open on May 25 and run through Aug. 17.
Exhibition: Dinosaur turns back the clock 165 million years to the Jurassic Period and combines life-sized animatronic dinosaurs with educational interactive experiences.
The exhibit, which is curated by renowned working paleontologist, Thomas Williamson, was created by Stage 9 Exhibits and is distributed by Exhibits Development Group.
“I'm extremely enthusiastic about bringing this exhibit featuring a wide variety of dinosaur species and the features that allowed them to survive,” said museum director Reese Barrick. “In addition to dinosaurs, visitors will discover how early paleontologists unearthed fossils and see examples of today’s cutting-edge technology.”
Occupying a large portion of the second floor and spilling over to the main lobby, the exhibition features displays and interactive stations grouped thematically.
The exhibit comprises two main areas. The first is the “Bone Wars” era of the late 1800s, and the second focuses on the present-day, featuring fossil neutron scanning, 3D modeling, and other technologies.
EXHIBIT FEATURES
The Campaign Tent
Visitors will learn about early fieldwork and fossil extraction, including a recreation of a field tent complete with period tools and furnishings. Brief and informative videos tell the stories of how dinosaur fossil hunters conducted their work, how fossils were transported (including by helicopter), and which field work tools and methods have changed and which have remained the same.
Animatronic Dinosaurs
The exhibit features 11 animatronic dinosaurs and provides the features of each dinosaur, including size, behavior, diet and when it lived.
Dinosaur Anatomy and Eggs
Interactive displays and information highlight the structure of dinosaur eggs, jaws, skulls, and tails and how they played an important role in dinosaur behavior and survival. Cases display artifacts, such as a T-rex skull replica, and a Triceratops skull model with cutouts for size reference to a Model T car and an elephant. Through an interactive display, visitors will also learn about the function of the gizzard, an organ shared by modern chickens and some dinosaurs.
The “Modern Era”
Focusing on present-day paleontology, visitors will learn about current technologies and how they are being deployed to help scientists learn more about dinosaurs.
Interactive Topographic Sandbox
Visitors can create changing landscapes by manipulating the sand to create peaks and valleys and the projector will create geologic features like hills and rivers in real time.
3-Finger Robotic Arm Dinosaur Egg Challenge and Interactive Video
Visitors can attempt to turn dinosaur eggs with a robotic arm. The display also features “eggs” that can be used to activate videos about the clues paleontologists look for on dinosaur eggs and the natural objects that get mistaken for fossilized eggs.
Sternberg Museum is open Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Sundays from 1-6 p.m.