Rare dinosaur fossils in Charlotte for Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit at Discovery Place Science
See fossils of dinosaurs you never knew existed at Ultimate Dinosaurs, a limited-time museum exhibit at Discovery Place Science.
Dinosaur fossils exhibit presents “a new breed of beast”
Triceratops? Pterodactyl? Been there, done that. “Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast,” a museum exhibition, displays fossils and casts from lesser-known dinosaur breeds originating from South America, Africa, and Madagascar up to 250 million years ago. The exhibition is at Discovery Place Science in Charlotte, N.C. all summer long (in the same location that we previously toured a Marvel exhibit).
See some of the creatures for yourself in this video from our preview visit, and keep reading for some of our favorite fun facts we learned.
Discovery Place living up to its name
At Ultimate Dinosaurs, you’ll discover species of dinosaurs not often popularized in modern media. Examine the tooth of a Spinosaur, which lived in Morocco 95 million years ago. Or gaze upon the skeleton of a Masiakasaurus knopfleri, named after singer Mark Knopfler because its excavation team happened to find more fossils when they played music from Knopfler’s band, Dire Straits.
The favorite from our visit was the Simosuchus (pictured below), a herbivore from Madagascar whose name means “pug-nosed crocodile.” The Simosuchus differed from modern crocs in that it likely lived on land rather than gravitating toward bodies of water.
Interactive stations throughout the exhibit space offer activities like sifting sand in search of fossils and examining specimens under a microscope.
Ultimate Dinosaurs was originally created by The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada. As such, most of its educational literature is presented in both English and French.
See dinosaur fossils
Entry to Ultimate Dinosaurs is included with daily admission to Discovery Place Science ($18 for kids, $23 for adults). Members get in free. The exhibition is on display now through Sept. 8, 2024.
As a tie-in with the dino theme, the museum also hosts Jurassic Lab Experiences (now through July 31, 2024 and included with admission) featuring hands-on activities like viewing x-rays and extracting DNA from a strawberry.
Related in topic but unaffiliated with the creators of Ultimate Dinosaurs, the 45-minute documentary “T-Rex” is currently screening in Discovery Place Science’s Accenture IMAX Dome Theatre now through Dec. 10, 2024 for an extra charge. Other films in rotation include a planetarium presentation and first-run movies like “Despicable Me 4” and “Twisters.”
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