GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Due to popular demand, the Florida Museum of Natural History has extended the duration of the “Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” exhibit. Visitors can walk through history and immerse themselves into the age of dinosaurs until Feb. 20.

Get up close and personal with fossils! With this immersive exhibit, visitors can get a firsthand experience learning about dinosaurs and the exciting lives they lived thousands of years ago. ©Florida Museum/Kristen Grace
Get up-close and personal with fossils! With this immersive exhibit, visitors can get firsthand experience learning about dinosaurs and the exciting lives they lived thousands of years ago. ©Florida Museum/Kristen Grace

Originally scheduled to leave Jan. 9, this interactive exhibition features more than 150 dinosaur eggs as well as real dinosaur bones, reconstructed nests, hands-on exploration stations and animated video presentations. With the help of researchers and the latest scientific discoveries, museumgoers can learn about dinosaur reproduction and behavior from a variety of displays. “Please touch” signs can be found all over the exhibit, encouraging guests to get a feel for the past.

“Tiny Titans has many interactive components that hit multiple different learning styles,” said Florida Museum exhibit coordinator Julie Waters. “For example, visitors who learn through tactile experiences can touch models and replicas of real fossils, while our littlest visitors can learn through play by wearing costumes and sitting on replica nests.”

Captivating artwork, photographs and murals depict these extraordinary creatures. Renowned paleoartists Luis Rey and Mark Hallett bring these fossils to life with their stunning illustrations of dinosaur families featuring a vibrant array of colors and incredible detail.

The exhibition displays a “petting zoo” that features five different species of baby dinosaurs and their onlooking parents. Creative dinosaur costumes are available to give visitors the opportunity to dress up and channel their own inner reptile as they explore the exhibit.

According to Waters, the biggest takeaway from the exhibit is that dinosaurs are more than just big teeth and sharp claws.

“Some dinosaurs were nurturing parents or had complex social groups to take care of their young. Through science and discovery, we are constantly learning new things about ancient life, dinosaurs included,” Waters said.

The exhibition also allows visitors to travel back in time millions of years to meet “Baby Louie,” the first articulated therapod hatchling ever found, complete with a lifelike representation that visitors can explore.

Admission to “Tiny Titans” is $8 for adults; $7 for Florida residents, seniors and non-University of Florida college students; $5.50 for children ages 3 to 17; and free to museum members and UF students with a valid Gator 1 Card. Complete admission pricing is available online at www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/visit/plan.

This exhibit was distributed by Silver Plume Exhibitions and sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, University of Florida Student Government and the Florida Division of Arts and Culture.

For more information, visit www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/tiny-titans or call 352-846-2000.

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Writer: Juliana Ortiz, PRIntern@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Julie Waters, jmwaters@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Media contact: Kaitlin Gardiner, kgardiner@floridamuseum.ufl.edu