Dinosaur Encounters | Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

Dinosaur Encounters

Meet Hunter the T. rex and Dakota the Triceratops, our pair of roaring and roaming
life-size dinosaur puppets! 

Hunter is a 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*

In the North American Mammal Hall, Level 2. FREE with Museum admission. 

*These times are subject to change. Please check the online Museum calendar or at the admissions desk upon arrival.

T. rex is Loose at the Geffen Playhouse’s Saturday Scene

NHM’s own Hunter the T. rex will roar in a special offsite appearance at Westwood’s Geffen Playhouse on Saturday, June 9 at 11 am. It's a new, dinosaur-themed performance by the Geffen Playhouse Story Pirates, a nationally recognized arts and literacy organization, Story Pirates offers students in under-resourced public schools a creative avenue to tell all kinds of tales. For more information, click here or call 310.208.5454.

Story Pirates will also be performing a Members-only NHM show on June 23 at 11 am.

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!

Close enough to count teeth! One of NHM's most inspiring and innovative programs, Dinosaur Encounters is a performing arts-based interpretive program that lets visitors get up close and personal with one of two realistic, life-sized juvenile dinosaurs. In 2008, NHM commissioned a team of paleontologists, engineers, artists, and puppeteers to bring these prehistoric animals to life. And now, our interpretive staff guides the audience through 20-minute presentations on one of these these "animals," using the puppets to demonstrate theories on behavior and movement. These dinosaur puppets have become a visitor favorite and have brought new excitement and wonder to the mystery of imagining just what these beasts may have looked like.

These are not small hand puppets. Hunter and Dakota 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 below.  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 Videos

Seeing is believing! Here are video links to see our dinosaur puppets in action.
NBC News Channel 4
NBC LA Around Town

YouTube also has some fancy footage from some of our visitors. After your visit, be sure to post your own encounter!
NHMLA YouTube Channel

Program Accolades!

National Endowment for the Arts
In recognition for innovative cross-disciplinary arts programing, our Museum was one of the featured organizations on the NEA's FaceBook page for the 2011 National Arts and Humanties month.

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 performing arts programs satisfy many of the California Visual and Performing 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 performing arts programs with the VAPA Standards.