The biggest, strangest and newest dinosaurs discovered in South America, Africa and Madagascar visit the United States for the first time ever in Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana
CINCINNATI – Forget about the dinosaurs that you know – prepare for a whole new breed of beast! Opening Thursday, June 13, Cincinnati Museum Center welcomes some of the largest and most unusual dinosaurs to have ever roamed the planet in the U.S. premiere of Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana.
Based on groundbreaking research from scientists around the world, this exhibition reveals bizarre, unusual looking dinosaurs virtually unknown to North Americans because they evolved in isolation in South America, Africa and Madagascar. Ultimate Dinosaurs features three augmented reality (AR) experiences, used in creative ways to bring these specimens to life and illustrate the story of how a dynamic Earth with drifting continents affected the evolution of dinosaurs, from a Southern perspective.
“In our mission to inspire our visitors to learn more about the world through science; regional history; and educational, engaging and meaningful experiences, it’s our pleasure to bring this outstanding dinosaur exhibition to Cincinnati,” said Douglass W. McDonald, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “What excites me the most about this exhibition is the ability to create life-long learners and budding scientists, the way that only hands-on and real world experiences can.”
Cincinnati has a long history of paleontological exploration and discovery which began in the 19th century. In recent years, Museum Center has undertaken numerous paleontology excavations around the world in search of everything from trilobites to dinosaurs. Our long-running Dinosaur Field School has collected many fossils of scientific importance, making our collection one of the largest and most significant collections in the Midwest. Some of Cincinnati Museum Center’s collection will also be showcased in the exhibit.
“Dinosaurs are coming to Cincinnati thanks to Museum Center,” said Mayor Mark Mallory. “There is always something fun to do at Museum Center, that’s why I like coming here. Everybody should come check out this exhibit.”
The exhibition is presented locally with the generous support of associate sponsor Frisch’s Big Boy. Additional support is provided by our community partners: Cincinnati Enquirer, the Cincinnati Reds and Local 12.
“We’ve supported previous exhibits of dinosaurs in the past, but this new exhibit with augmented reality takes dinosaurs to a higher level,” said Craig Maier, president and CEO of Frisch’s Restaurants. “It is not just gadgetry, it provides an educational opportunity not seen anywhere in the United States, and we are happy to help provide a world-class experience through our sponsorship.”
Highlights of the Exhibition
Surrounded by life-like environmental murals, the exhibition features real fossils and 20 full-scale skeletal casts, many of which have never been seen before in the U.S. Museum Center guests will experience Giganotosaurus, possibly the largest land predator to have ever lived, as well as the crocodile-faced spinosaur, Suchomimus, the horned meat-eater Carnotaurus, and many more.
“Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana unveils specimens that most of us have never before seen,” says Glenn Storrs, Ph.D., Museum Center’s Withrow Farny curator of vertebrate paleontology. “These are from the prehistoric southern hemisphere continent of Gondwana, where they evolved differently than their counterparts in the northern hemisphere.”
Augmented Reality
Come face-to-face with these bizarre creatures through the use of augmented reality (AR), layering virtual experiences over real environments in the exhibition. This is the first time Cincinnati Museum Center is using AR technology in an exhibition setting – bringing these giants to life and encouraging visitors to look at them from a new perspective. Experience a fearsome face-off between carnivores Giganotosaurus and T. rex , enhanced by AR iPad technology, where you can decide for yourself which one is the largest meat-eating dinosaur of all time, while learning about key differences between the northern and southern worlds in the twilight of the age of dinosaurs.
Exhibition Background
Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana tells the story of how continental drift affected the evolution of dinosaurs on the dynamic Earth during the Mesozoic, 250 – 65 million years ago. When dinosaurs first appeared 250 million years ago, the continents of the Earth were assembled into the giant supercontinent, Pangaea. As Pangaea divided first into Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south, and later into the many continents of today, dinosaurs were passengers on these moving continents. An amazing diversity of dinosaurs evolved on each of these separate lands. Their imposed geographic isolation helped promote their evolution into an incredible array of bizarre forms that dominated wherever they lived.
Produced and circulated by the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ultimate Dinosaurs offers an unforgettable experience for all ages. Children can follow in the footsteps of the paleontologists who unearthed these strange creatures. Hands-on activities, including touchable bronze cats and interactive education pods, will put everything about Southern dinosaurs at your fingertips. A wide range of dinosaur-inspired programming will accompany the exhibition.
Ticket Information
Tickets are $15 for adults, $11 for children ages 3-12 and $13 for seniors ages 60+. Museum Center Members pay a one time discounted admission fee of $9 for adults and $7 for children and receive free unlimited repeat visits to the exhibition. For more information on the exhibition, programming and to make your reservations, visit www.cincymuseum.org/dinosaurs.
Follow the dinosaur action on twitter at @cincymuseum using hashtags: #UltimateDinos and #CincyRawrs.
Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia OMNIMAX Film Premiere
Also opening June 13 for the first time in Cincinnati, don’t miss Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia in our OMNIMAX® Theater. It’s the perfect companion to the Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit. Combining the exhibit and OMNIMAX film is the closest thing to actually being in the presence of these extraordinary creatures!
Following Rodolfo Coria, a world-renowned Argentinean paleontologist, we visit sites of major dinosaur discoveries in the Patagonia region of South America and travel back in time to see these amazing beasts come to life. Experience the world of Giganotosaurus also seen in the exhibit, and the Argentinosaurus , possibly the largest dinosaur to have ever lived. The action is intense and the landscape is out of this world. From space, we have the perfect vantage point to witness the movement of the tectonic plates, and the arrival of a comet that may have sealed the fate of the dinosaurs.
These massive prehistoric beasts are best viewed on our giant five-story screen! Visit www.cincymuseum.org for tickets and show times.
For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org