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Dinosaurs: China's
Ancient Giants is a grand exhibition of the largest collection of authentic Chinese fossils ever toured.

More than 20 original fossils, including rare featured dinosaurs, skeletons, dinosaur eggs, plants and marine life, along with over a dozen cast skeletons are displayed in an evocative environment. Four original 70-foot murals created by Chinese artists and the Royal British Museum of BC, robotic dinosaurs displayed within life-like dioramas, and dramatic lighting will excite our visitors and invite them to explore the wonders of these magnificent creatures.

Interactives include activity carts, a dig pit and many touchable cast specimens. A gigantic 65-foot long, 21 foot high Mamenchisaurus will be displayed on OMSI's front patio to welcome visitors to Dinosaurs: China's Ancient Giants!

Specimens in Dinosaurs: China's Ancient Giants come from well known paleontology sites from across China and Mongolia. These sites include the Gobi desert, the Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in southern China, and the more recent spectacular finds in Liaoning Province in northeastern China. Because of an active black market trade in fossils, it is rare for China to loan its fossils to other countries.

8 inches - The length of a T. rex tooth - the largest tooth of any meat eater.
500 pounds - The amount of meat a T. rex could swallow in one bite.
6 feet long - The length of the skull of biggest meat-eater ever, Giganotosaurus.
930 - The number of kinds of dinosaurs.
21 days - The current average time between dinosaur discoveries - the fastest pace ever.
5 feet high, 4 feet wide - The largest bone in the world ? A backbone of Argentinosaurus, a plant-eating dinosaur and the largest animal ever.
24 - The largest known number of dinosaur eggs in a nest.
120 tons - The weight of 1 Argentinosaurus, the heaviest of all animals, equal to 100 elephants.
33 feet - The longest neck of any animal ? Mamenchisaurus, a planteater 68 feet long.
228 million - The age of the oldest dinosaur, the dog-sized meateater Eoraptor from Argentina.

To complement the beautiful fossilized dinosaur specimens and show what some of these magnificent creatures might have looked like, four original 70-foot murals created by Chinese artists and the Royal British Museum of BC will be on display along with several animated dinosaurs in life-like dioramas. Visitors will marvel at the 45-foot long Tarbosaurus (similar to North America's T. rex), the Dilophosaurus and Velociraptor (both popularized in the Jurassic Park films), an Oviraptor and a Protoceratops.

Video runs 3 minutes

For a larger version, click on the video as it is playing
(that will take you to YouTube.com)

Download a page full of fun activities for kids! Includes word search, coloring and fun facts.

Click here to download the PDF file. (1.2mb)

With the help of the Science Museum of Minnesota, we've put together a guide to the exhibit for educators which you can download.