Two of the best-preserved fossils of the two most iconic dinosaurs have taken up permanent residency in Raleigh as part of an iconic new visitor attraction that opened in April 2024. Read on to find out how to see this for FREE!

Something epic has been unveiled in Raleigh, N.C. 

An experience 67 million years in the making, visitors to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh can lay eyes on what many consider to be one of the greatest dinosaur fossils ever discovered.

That fossil—a 31,000-pound behemoth—is actually made up of two complete dinosaur skeletons: a tyrannosaur and a Triceratops, rapidly buried together so many years ago in a potential predator-prey encounter.

Still largely entombed inside the rock they were discovered in, the Dueling Dinosaurs—as they're called now—were discovered on a Montana hillside in 2006 and ultimately found a permanent home in Raleigh.

The acquisition was announced by the Museum of Natural Sciences in 2020, along with the news that the museum would construct the world's first paleontology lab that includes a behind-the-scenes experience where the public can watch as scientists work to uncover long-buried secrets.

It's expected that the fossils will be worked on inside this lab for at least the next five years as scientists carefully work to reveal answers to 67-million-year-old questions. 

"This fossil will forever change our view of the world’s two favorite dinosaurs," according to Dr. Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. "The way we have designed the entire experience—inviting the public to follow the scientific discoveries in real-time and participate in the research—will set a new standard for museums."

At long last, as of April 27, 2024, this new exhibit is open to the public!

The exhibit is open during regular museum hours—10am-5pm, Tues.-Sun.—and a free, timed-entry ticket is required of all guests. Tickets can be reserved here.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is located at 11 W. Jones St., Raleigh NC 27601.

Read more about the Dueling Dinosaurs here.
 

^{Photos courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences}