The Smithsonian is ready to showcase one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever discovered! The National Museum of Natural History has entered into a 50-year loan agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to transfer a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton for display in the museum’s new dinosaur room. Known as the “Wankel T. rex”, the rare fossil was found in 1988 by Kathy Wankel, an Angela rancher,
Montana on federal land near the Fort Peck Reservoir in eastern Montana. It was loaned by the US Army Corps of Engineers to the Museum of the Rocky Mountains in Bozeman, Montana, from 1990 to 2011. The T-rex skeleton arrived in Washington, DC and will be the centerpiece of the new 31,000 feet square of the museum. National Hall of Fossils.
About the new fossil hall
The Smithsonian will create a new prehistoric living room at the National Museum of Natural History in what will be the largest and most complex renovation in the museum’s history. The new hall will be completed in 2019 and will feature samples from the museum’s unrivaled collection of 46 million fossils and present the latest scientific research in paleobiology. The former exhibit is now closed to begin the complete redesign and renovation of the exhibit space. Three interim exhibits focusing on dinosaurs will be launched to give visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the ancient world of dinosaurs and cutting-edge paleontological research.
The museum is planning additional exhibits and programs for 2015-2019.
“The Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World”.
Open now. The new 5,200-square-foot exhibit, on the museum’s second floor, tells the story of the later years of non-avian dinosaurs in western North America through an extraordinary diversity of animals and plants discovered in the layers rich in fossils from hell. Creek Formation in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. It features a giant plant-eating Triceratops and a cast of a 14-foot tall T. rex . The exhibit also features other fossils, murals from ancient settings, a video presentation, and an arcade-style game, “How to Become a Fossil.” The new FossiLab will also be open for guests to watch staff and volunteers prepare and preserve fossils.
The exhibition will remain on view until the completion of the museum’s newly renovated dinosaur and fossil room.
The National Museum of Natural History is one of the most popular museums in Washington DC. It is located at 10th Street and Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC. See a map and directions to the National Mall.
Also see, Photos of the National Museum of Natural History to take a look at some of the museum’s most popular exhibits.
The Smithsonian is comprised of 19 museums with more than 137 million objects, including many irreplaceable historical artifacts, works of art, scientific specimens, and cultural exhibits. To learn all about them, see A Guide to All Smithsonian Museums.
