Dinosaur Encounters | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Dinosaurs on the Loose!
Witness Dinosaur Encounters Wednesday-Sunday in the North American Mammal Hall, Level 2.
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Dinosaur Encounters Sponsor
Support for Dinosaur Encounters is provided by Bank of America
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Hop, Slither and Stalk!
Move, think and behave like an animal in our interactive giant puppet shows. Learn more >
Who's in the Puppets?
What does it take to be a dinosaur? Meet our Performance Artist Staff. Learn more >
How Do They work?
It took a team of scientists and artists to bring our dinosaurs back from the dead. Go behind the scenes >
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Meet Hunter and Dakota
T. rex and Triceratops, the roaring and roaming life-size dinosaur puppets, finally have official names as voted on by thousands of Dinosaur Encounters fans!
Meet Hunter the T. rex, the life-like version of the juvenile specimen you will see in the T. rex growth series on view in the new Dinosaur Hall. Aptly named because as an apex predator, he's always on the lookout for a good meal.
Dakota the Triceratops, also the actual size of a juvenile specimen, is named after the great state of South Dakota where Triceratops is the state fossil.
Have You Had a Dinosaur Encounter?
Wednesdays-Fridays: 10:30 am, 11:30 am, and 1:30 pm*
Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 am and 2:30 pm*
*These times are subject to change. Please check the online Museum calendar or at the admissions desk upon arrival.
In the North American Mammal Hall, Level 2. FREE with Museum admission.
Close enough to count teeth! One of the Natural History Museum's most inspiring and innovative programs is Dinosaur Encounters, a performing arts-based interpretive program that lets visitors get up close and personal with a realistic, life-sized juvenile T. rex. In 2008, the Natural History Museum commissioned a team of paleontologists, engineers, artists, and puppeteers to bring this prehistoric animal to life. Terror and laughter exist side by side as the puppet roars, stalks, and bellows through our halls. Our interpretive staff guides the audience through 20-minute presentations on this "animal," using the puppet to demonstrate theories on behavior and movement. More than 1,200 shows and 225,000 audience members later, this dinosaur puppet has quickly become a visitor favorite and has brought new excitement and wonder to the mystery of imagining just what these beasts may have looked like.
Dinosaur Topics
Our highly educated, well-trained Gallery Interpreters and Performing Artists have varying areas of interest and expertise, so they talk about many topics at Dinosaur Encounters. Each presentation is unique, even if you have seen a Dinosaur Encounter, each staff member will highlight a different subject. Discussion topics include the relationship between birds and dinosaurs, predator/prey theory, extinction, the process of paleontology, social behavioral theories, dinosaur anatomy and movement, and many more.
ROAR!
These are not small hand puppets. The Museum's puppets are very large, realistic interpretations of wild animals. Please prepare and attend to small children accordingly. There are a number of pictures and videos available on the Museum website and other online sources. While the majority of children love the puppets, they can be a big surprise for sensitive individuals.
Walkabouts and Chance Appearances
Hunter the T. rex sometimes appears in the halls of the Museum. He has also gone to the Grove, to First Fridays, "Good Morning America," on the field with the L.A. Galaxy and even the L.A. County Fair. You never know when one might come around the corner…
Dino Video
Seeing is believing! Here are video links to see our dinosaur puppets in action.
YouTube also has some fancy footage from some of our visitors. After your visit, be sure to post your own encounter!
American Association of Museums
Dinosaur Encounters was honored to be a part of the American Association of Museum’s 2009 EdCom’s Marketplace of Ideas for exemplifying what makes museum exhibits real, responsive, and reactive for the visitor. Watch our seven-minute video about how the program was created. It features our Dinosaur Institute Director, Dr. Luis Chiappe, our Education staff, and some of the artists that make our puppets come to life.
For Teachers
Our interactive performance art programs satisfy many of the California Visual and Performance Arts Standards for grades Pre-K through 2, using a combination of theater and kinesthetic lesson plans. Click here for details of how to make the most of your field trip to NHM by being sure to include a stop at Dinosaur Encounters or a Hop, Slither, and Stalk presentation.
Compare our performance art programs with the VAPA Standards.