Dino Festival Roars into Virginia Museum of Natural History July 25–26

A two-day fossil extravaganza is set to take place at the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) in Martinsville, as the museum hosts Dino Festival on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Featuring a trove of fossils from the museum’s scientific collections, new interactive science stations hosted by museum researchers, life-size displays of iconic prehistoric creatures, animatronic dinosaurs, access to the museum’s newest special exhibit The Age of Dinosaurs, and a wide variety of dinosaur-themed activities and crafts, the annual event is designed to give visitors a glimpse into a time when Earth was inhabited by unique and extraordinary life.

“A prehistoric adventure awaits everyone who visits the museum on July 25 and 26,” said Robbie Hendrix-Wirt, VMNH visitor services and events manager. “From the instant visitors step foot on museum grounds, they’ll be transported to a time when our planet was inhabited by amazing creatures long since extinct.”

One such creature is Torvosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic period of Wyoming, whose rare fossil remains will make their Dino Festival debut this year.

“The museum’s paleontology team is eager to offer visitors new and unique experiences during this year’s edition of Dino Festival,” said Dr. Adam Pritchard, VMNH associate curator of paleontology, who is currently in the midst of a weeks-long dinosaur fossil dig in Wyoming. “Among this year’s new additions will be the Meat-eater Station, where museum researchers are ready to show off the incredibly rare fossils of Torvosaurus, the remains of which we have never placed on public exhibit.”

Also new this year is the Fossil Prep Station, where attendees can watch up close as a museum scientist prepares a field jacket filled with dinosaur fossils, describes the preparation process, and fields questions from visitors about life in the ancient past.

“What really separates Dino Festival from so many other dinosaur-themed events is our ability to provide the power of real to our visitors,” said Hendrix-Wirt. “From unveiling fossils that haven’t been seen since they were excavated from the earth by museum researchers, to the exhibition of the only known fossil evidence that Triceratops survived a brutal battle with Tyrannosaurus rex, visitors will not only be presented with an incredible array of real fossils, but they’ll also be able to interact directly with museum experts who are eager to share riveting stories about the specimens on display.”

This year’s festival will also mark the VMNH debut of a full-size adult mammoth skeleton, comprised of approximately 50 percent fossilized bone. The specimen will anchor a new section of the festival that explores life after the dinosaurs.

“After the Dinosaurs is being introduced this year to give visitors a look into how mammals filled the empty spaces in the ecosystems left by the extinction of dinosaurs,” said Bethany Fisher, museum experiences manager. “The debut of the mammoth skeleton will draw a great deal of attention, but it will also be accompanied by experts exhibiting other fascinating specimens from the museum’s collections.”

New hands-on experiences are also on tap for this year’s event.

“It’s exciting to watch scientists work with incredible fossils and listen to them share their knowledge of the specimens, but it can be just as fun working with fossils yourself,” said Hendrix-Wirt. “One of this year’s new offerings is Reptile Jaw Microscopy, where attendees can examine the jaws of ancient lizard-like reptiles under museum microscopes and match the jaws to their owners from over 200 million years ago. It’s fun, educational, and the type of activity you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.”

Many hands-on elements will be featured throughout the festival, including the dino dig pit, which will be located inside the museum’s newest special exhibit, The Age of Dinosaurs.

“Visitors to Dino Festival will have access to all of the museum’s galleries, including The Age of Dinosaurs special exhibit,” said Hendrix-Wirt. “Here, visitors will find everything from fossilized dinosaur skin and footprints to animatronic dinosaur displays and the dino dig pit, which is designed to replicate an actual field site that museum scientists excavate every summer in Wyoming.”

Of course, no Dino Festival would be complete without an impressive lineup of life-size cast skeletons and skulls of not just dinosaurs, but other ancient life—some of which lived long before the first dinosaurs.

“Visitors will be met by a variety of life-size displays, many of which have accompanying fossil specimens that can be found on exhibit throughout the museum,” said Fisher. “For instance, visitors will not only be able to view a full-size Triceratops skeleton, but they’ll also have access to the incredibly well-preserved fossil remains of a massive Triceratops skull, which will be presented to visitors as they were discovered in the field.”

“The museum conducts world-class research every day, and Dino Festival is a great venue for highlighting the variety of research taking place,” said Hendrix-Wirt. “While insects might not be the first thing that pops into mind at an event focused on ancient life, they have actually been around for hundreds of millions of years and even pre-date dinosaurs.”

Festivalgoers will also enjoy traditional family-friendly offerings such as face painting, balloon animals, children’s crafts and activities, and the Dino Fest Photo Booth—all included with the price of admission. The Museum Store will be open both days of the event, offering a variety of dinosaur-themed merchandise and souvenirs.

“We want visitors to come to Dino Festival for an exciting adventure, and we want them to leave with a memory they’ll keep for years to come,” said Hendrix-Wirt. “We think this year’s edition will provide attendees with just that.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Pritchard.

“We’re especially looking forward to presenting visitors with new experiences, highlighted by incredible specimens that we’ve never exhibited before,” said Pritchard. “From the Meat-eater Station and the rare fossil remains of Torvosaurus, to the Fossil Prep Station, where visitors will literally be the first people ever to see that particular dinosaur fossil emerge from the ground, to the Reptile Microscopy Station and the tiny reptile jaws showing how reptiles big and small were utterly strange during the Age of Dinosaurs, this year’s edition of Dino Festival is ready to offer visitors a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Festival Details

Dino Festival takes place at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Admission is $15 for adults ages 18–59, and $10 for youth ages 3–17, seniors 60+, and college students. Admission is free for children under 3, museum members, and members of ASTC Passport Program institutions. Attendees who visit on Friday can return on Saturday at no additional cost.

The museum also participates in Museums for All, offering free admission to EBT cardholders and up to five immediate family members from the same household. This is made possible through funding from Hooker Furnishings, Carter Bank, and the Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia.

Sponsors

Dino Festival is sponsored by Atlantic Union Bank, Bassett Furniture Industries, Boxley Materials Company, Carter Bank, Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, Hooker Furnishings, and The Helen S. & Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Foundation Trust.

For more information, visit www.vmnh.net/events/dino-festival.