The Michigan Science Center Extends “Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family” Exhibit Through May
Exhibit perfect for in-door fun during winter months; Features life-size T. rex skeletons exhibits that teach new discoveries in Paleontology
Detroit, Mich., January 24, 2025 – The Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) is thrilled to announce its popular exhibit, “Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family,” has been extended through the end of May 2025. Sponsored by Ford Philanthropy, this captivating exhibit offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the fascinating world of the most iconic reptiles to ever roam the Earth—tyrannosaurs.
“We thought we would have to pack up this incredibly popular traveling exhibit this month and send it on to its next museum, but fortunately, through the generous support of Ford Philanthropy, we get to keep it through May and offer it to kids, families and anyone who is a fan of these fascinating creatures,” said Dr. Christian Greer, President & CEO of the Michigan Science Center. “We’ve had a lot of exciting exhibits over the years, but I don’t know if any of them have engaged imaginations quite the way this one has. If you haven’t had a chance yet to come down a visit us, don’t wait another moment. Winter in Michigan is a great time to explore some indoor fun for the whole family.”
Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family showcases an extraordinary collection of tyrannosaur skeleton casts, fossils, and life-size displays that will transport guests back millions of years to the Cretaceous Period when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The exhibition was created by the Australian Museum and is toured internationally by Evergreen Exhibitions.
With a focus on both entertainment and education, the exhibit features state-of-the-art interactive elements designed to inspire children, families, and anyone with a passion for paleontology. Visitors can dive into the science behind these ancient creatures, learn about recent discoveries, and experience the awe of standing in the shadow of a full-sized T. rex cast skeleton.
Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family provides an educational experience that explores the evolution of tyrannosaurs, their biology, and how these powerful creatures dominated their ecosystems. With hands-on displays, touchable fossils, and interactive digital features, the exhibit will engage visitors in paleontology like never before.
Sections in the Exhibit
- Diorama – Visitors get a close look at a fleshed-out model of a Guanlong surrounded by what would have been its natural habitat. Guanlong was a relatively small theropod, reaching 3–3.5 m (9.8–11.5 ft) in length and 125 kg (276 lb) in body mass. Its fossils were found in the Shishugou Formation dating to about 160 million years ago, in the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic period, 92 million years before its well-known relative Tyrannosaurus. It had a large crest on its head. Unlike later tyrannosaurs, Guanlong had three long fingers on its hands. Aside from its distinctive crest, it may have had a coat of primitive feathers.[1]
- Projection Tunnel – Exhibit-goers pass between two 30-foot-long screens and watch as tyrannosaurs run around their local city’s most famous landmarks wreaking havoc.
- Family Tree Touch Table – Visitors can hatch, feed, play with and eventually build a whole family tree of tyrannosaurs.
- Augmented Reality Screen – All sorts of tyrannosaurs surround in an AR-created adventure. Users can interact with the now-extinct creatures as they are brought back to life.
- Tyrannosaurus Rex – Young and old alike can get up close and personal with one of the world’s most complete T. rex skeletons. “Scotty’s” skeleton was cast from a fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex found in Saskatchewan, Canada. It stands at 15 feet tall. It is both magnificent and terrifying, but also playful. Scotty’s shadow appears to come to life, making hand puppets while the T. rex roars and growls.
- Daspletosaurus, Albertosaurs, Lynthronax– Visitors compare the size of a T. rex with its smaller cousins. Three full life-sized skeletons help give some context to the sheer size and terror that these carnivores would have induced.
- Wipeout – This interactive has a large screen that displays a view of the earth from space and a sensor pad that visitors jump on in the hope they can activate a meteor shower.
- Bite Force – This interactive gets visitors to squeeze the throttle and measure their strength against the bite force of a tyrannosaur, shark, lion and human.
- Timeline – Exhibit-goers get to cycle through the ages and see where and when each known dinosaur lived and where its fossils were discovered.
- Carnegie Specimens – Through a lending arrangement with Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the exhibition presents four never-before-toured T. rex fossils as a part of the Tyrannosaurs — Meet the Family exhibition. These specimens include a partial upper jaw (with teeth), juvenile femur, pubic boot and a fused nasal (snout) bone. Rarely on display outside of their home museum, the fossils allow visitors to explore millions of years of prehistory without having to leave their hometown.
About The Michigan Science Center
The Michigan Science Center’s core mission is to advance STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math) across all ages and disciplines through discovery, innovation and interactive education. As a STEM hub, Mi-Sci focuses on developing and introducing expanded education programs, exhibits and initiatives to empower and enrich our children and community.
Mi-Sci’s goal is to be a pioneering force for the future of STEM education in Detroit and a dynamic destination in Michigan, making itself accessible, engaging, and transformative for all while fostering a vibrant, culturally relevant, community STEM hub where learning is deeply personal, profoundly social, and inherently joyful.
As a Smithsonian affiliate, Mi-Sci inspires nearly 250,000 curious minds of all ages every year in Detroit and across Michigan. Through our Traveling Science Program and distance learning initiative, ECHO, Mi-Sci reaches beyond our Detroit-based facility across Michigan. With the Toyota Engineering 4D Theater, live science demonstrations, lab activities and 220+ interactive exhibits, there are dozens of ways to customize your Mi-Sci visit. The Michigan Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not receive funding from Detroit or the state of Michigan. For more information, please call 313.577.8400 or visit the website, Mi-Sci.org.