Step into the Past with Raleigh’s “Dueling Dinosaurs” Exhibit: The World’s First Open Access Paleontology Lab

This weekend, Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will unveil the “Dueling Dinosaurs” exhibit, featuring the world’s first open access paleontology lab. Dr. Lindsay Zanno, the head of paleontology at the museum, described the exhibit as showcasing a predator and prey buried together in one grave at a single moment in time, offering exquisite preservation of their remains.

Zanno explained that when the animals died and were buried, their bodies were still intact with flesh, organs, skin, and muscles. As a result, scientists can study every bone in their skeletons as it would have been when they were alive. The lab’s team will spend the next four to five years meticulously examining these fossils for insights into the lives and deaths of these dinosaurs. They must be extremely careful not to damage any valuable evidence during this process.

The dinosaurs on display are both over 20 feet long, making them enormous creatures to study. Once the lab opens to visitors on Saturday April 27th , visitors can engage with interactive exhibits that allow them to virtually explore reptile skulls and uncover fossils. Zanno hopes that this exhibit will spark children’s interest in science at an age when they typically begin losing interest in it.

The “Dueling Dinosaurs” exhibit offers free admission to the museum and timed access tickets for entry into the lab are being issued to regulate visitor numbers and ensure everyone has a pleasant experience .