Dinosaur Encounters | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
Our Triceratops puppet, part of the Dinosaur Encounters program, says hello to a young visitor.
Dinosaurs on the Loose!
Witness Dinosaur Encounters Wednesday-Sunday in the North American Mammal Hall, Level 2.
Learn more >
How Do the Puppets Work?
Our T. rex and Triceratops puppets were brought to life by an amazing team of scientists and artists. Learn all about them on a trip behind the scenes. Learn more >
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 >
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Have You Had a Dinosaur Encounter?
Wednesdays-Fridays 10:30 am and 11:30 am
Saturdays 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm
Sundays 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm
In the North American Mammal Hall, Level 2. FREE with Museum admission.
One of the Natural History Museum's most inspiring and innovative programs is Dinosaur Encounters, a performance-based interpretive program that lets visitors get up close and personal with a realistic, life-sized juvenile T. rex and Triceratops. Last year, the Natural History Museum commissioned a team of paleontologists, engineers, artists, and puppeteers to bring these prehistoric animals to life. Terror and laughter exist side by side as the puppets roar, stalk, and bellow through our halls. Our interpetive staff guide the audience through 20-minute presentations on these "animals," using the puppets to demonstrate theories on behavior and movement. Over 500 shows and 150,000 audience members later, these dinosaur puppets have quickly become a visitor favorite and have brought new excitement and wonder to the mystery of imagining just what thses beasts may have looked like.
Dinosaur Topics
Our highly-educated, well-trained Gallery Interpreters 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 both of the puppets featured in presentations, each staff member will use the puppets to highlight different subjects. 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.
Walkabouts and Chance Appearances
The dinosaur puppets sometimes appear in the halls of the Museum. They have also gone to the Grove, to First Fridays, and they have an upcoming appearance at 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
Our Dinosaur Encounter program was honored to be a part of the American Association of Museum’s EdCom’s Marketplace 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 theatre 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 Hop, Slither, and Stalk presentation.
Compare our performance art programs with the VAPA Standards.