Dinosaur Lovers Unite

Celebrate the wonderful world of dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum of Utah’s first-ever DinoFest. Dino enthusiasts of all ages are invited to dig into hands-on activities, hear from experts about dinosaur discoveries, see fossils and specimens not usually on display and get a rare look inside the Museum’s Paleo Prep Lab. Join the fun for two action-packed days, Saturday & Sunday January 28-29, 2017, 10am to 5pm.

“It’s always fun to share our work and discoveries with dinosaur lovers and other interested parties,” says Dr. Randall Irmis, curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah, “especially the exciting things happening here at home in Utah.”

Museum guests will get a chance to meet and hear from Dr. Irmis as well as other paleontologists working in Utah and across the U.S. In fact, more than a dozen scientists will attend DinoFest to speak with guests and present Dinobites, (short talks) about some of the fascinating research and discoveries across Utah. Special presentations will take place at noon each day by one of two keynote speakers, Dr. Lindsay Zanno, curator and head of paleontology at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and Dr. Luis Chiappe, curator and vice president of research and collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Additional DinoFest highlights include:

• Dino-themed face painting
• Past Worlds Gallery interpreters sharing information about dinosaurs unique to Utah
• Demonstrations of Research Quest, a fun new online game that uses Museum fossils to teach students to think and act like real scientists.

DinoFest is free to the public with the purchase of regular Museum admission and free for Museum members.

For more information, including the full list and schedule of confirmed speakers, visit https://nhmu.utah.edu/events/dinofest

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About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the Museum’s collections contain over 1.5 million objects and offer innovative exhibitions and educational programs to thousands of residents and visitors each year, including traveling and permanent exhibits, special events and other programs. With more than 250,000 visitors a year, the Museum also offers a variety of outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state annually. The Museum has an active scientific research program with more than 30 scientists and 10 field expeditions each year.