Antarctic Dinosaurs Opens at Natural History Museum LA

If it were up to me I’d spend all my time exploring the far corners of the world but I have a job and bills and other responsibilities that require me to stay put for much of the year. Luckily, there are plenty of Southern California institutions that allow me to catch glimpses of far off places without leaving the area. Take the Natural History Museum. Through its rotating exhibits I’ve learned about Latin America, Egypt and numerous other spots around the globe. And thanks to its latest exhibit, Antarctic Dinosaurs, I was able to gain insight into one of the most remote areas on earth.

Through a partnership with the Field Museum, Antarctic Dinosaurs makes its West Coast debut at Natural History Museum Los Angeles and offers visitors a glimpse into the past and present of the world’s coldest continent.

it’s been a little over 100 years since we first started exploring Antarctica and the exhibit begins with details of those first expeditions. There are artifacts from the ill-fated Terra Nova journey, early polar suits and, especially fascinating, the first fossils collected.

After stepping into the past we then head into the modern age of polar exploration and it’s interesting to see how much polar gear has changed in 100 years. Today’s explorers are able to make further inroads into the continent which allowed a group of paleontologists on a 2010 expedition to discover a new species of dinosaur.

From here we dive deep into the past when Antarctica was a lush, warm environment filled with plants, trees and large prehistoric animals.

Of course, these large animals included dinosaurs and on display are 4 full-sized replicas of four different species including the 25 foot-long Cryolophosaurus.

Through interactive exhibits and authentic artifacts Antarctic Dinosaurs offers a fascinating glimpse into the mysterious continent. The exhibition runs until January 5, 2020 and is a perfect addition to Natural History Museum LA.