RVA's Special Exhibits: Ultimate Dinosaurs

The Science Museum of Virginia has a new exhibit just in time for summer: Ultimate Dinosaurs!

Ultimate Dinosaurs is an interactive, educational exhibition that shows you what life was like on Earth before humans walked upon it. And the star attraction? 17 life-sized specimens that bring the prehistoric world roaring to life!

In this special exhibit, you meet 17 prehistoric predators from locations in the Southern Hemisphere, watch skeletons transform into flesh-and-bones animals through augmented reality, and learn about the break-up of supercontinent Pangaea and how it affected dinosaur evolution 250–65 million years ago!

Ultimate Dinosaurs is on display at The Science Museum of Virginia May 31 to September 1, 2025.

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Everything YOU need to know about Ultimate Dinosaurs:

Ultimate Dinosaurs is a hands-on exhibit that brings the prehistoric world roaring to life.

Located in Dewey Gottwald Center, everything from the sound effects to the lighting transports you to prehistoric times! The Dewey Gottwald Center is dimly lit with colorful backlights on the dinosaurs. You can hear roars and stomping as you move closer to each dinosaur. A thunderstorm even plays in the background to set the scene of an epic battle between dinosaurs!

As you move through this exhibit, you will meet both large and small dinosaurs, and each one has an interactive feature to teach you about its characteristics in a kid-friendly way.

When you are looking at the towering Ouranosaurus, you can swipe the interactive screen to learn that it weighs the same as 42 adult humans, and swipe again to learn that it's as big as a car. At the Carnotaurus, you can use the interactive camera to turn the skeletons into a dinosaur by pointing the camera at different parts of the skeleton!

In the fossil section, you can explore dinosaur fossils and use magnifying glasses to inspect them. You can use the sifter to search for tiny fossils, and you can touch real fossils from the Cretaceous Period.

Highlights of the Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit:

1. 16 full-sized dinosaur specimens*

2. a scaled replica of a Futalognkosaurus' femur - it's taller than a grownup!

3. interactive cameras - you can turn the skeletons into a dinosaur

4. using a magnifying glass to inspect fossils

5. special sound effects make you feel like you're walking with the dinos

   
   

   *There are 17 full-sized specimens, but one is technically not considered a dinosaur!

More Dino-Themed Programming this Summer:

The Science Museum of Virginia has extended hours until 8pm on Friday nights throughout the run of Ultimate Dinosaurs. The Forge has workshops and challenges centered around this special exhibit. There are also additional dino-themed experiences in The Forge, Art Lab, Eco Lab, and Science on a Sphere.

1. Thursday, July 12 - Minds of All Kinds

2. Tuesday, July 24 - Science on Tap: Dino Night (for adults 21+ only)

3. Friday, August 25 - Sunrise Science: Synchrotron Science

Where is The Science Museum of Virginia?

The museum's address is 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

You can find free parking in the parking deck between The Children's Museum of Richmond and The Science Museum of Virginia.

When is The Science Museum of Virginia open?

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm. On Fridays, you can visit until 8pm during the run of Ultimate Dinosaurs.

Ultimate Dinosaurs is on display May 31—September 1, 2025.

How much does it cost to visit The Science Museum of Virginia?

To experience Ultimate Dinosaurs, you need a daily museum ticket plus the add on ticket of $7.50. You can purchase a discounted combo ticket for $25 per adult, $22 per youth (ages 6-17), $17.50 per preschooler (ages 3-5). This ticket includes a feature in The Dome!

The Science Museum of Virginia's regular admission costs $17.50 per adult (13-59), $14.50 per senior (60+), $14.50 per youth (6-12 years old), and $10 per preschooler (3-5 years old) to visit daily. Children 2 years old and younger can visit for free.

Teachers can visit the museum for free with their teacher ID & purchase discounted tickets to Ultimate Dinosaurs.

The Science Museum of Virginia also participates in Museums for All. This means the Science Museum offers a discounted daily admission  & reduced-rate membership for limited-resource families. Present your Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card at the front desk to qualify for this program.The Museums for All daily admission cost is $1 or $2, and for $25, two adults and all children under 18 in the household can visit for one year.

If you are interested in a membership, check here for more details!

*Pictures provided by The Science Museum of Virginia.

More Information about The Science Museum of Virginia:

Here are things to do at the Science Museum of Virginia with kids under 7.

I've been bringing my children to this museum since they were babies, and there's so many things to see and do with them here. The entire museum is stroller friendly, so it's easy to bring little ones here.

LightPlace: This section of the museum is designed specifically for children 5 and younger. LightPlace filled with preschool-sized hands-on activities like the oversized Lite Bright, puzzles, building blocks, and a climbing area. It has floor-to-ceiling windows, so the room is filled with light and views of the trains. There is also an area just for children 18 months and younger, so even the smallest explorers can crawl to sensory experiences!

The Speed Exhibit: This exhibit has over 50 stations for you to learn about motion and time! You can race an Olympic athlete (or dinosaur), practice throwing like a baseball player, feel hurricane force winds or challenge a robot in air hockey.

The Outside Exhibits: You will find restored train cars outside, a giant chess board and a submarine. You can see this area from LightPlace, too.

Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO Bricks: You can learn about science, technology, engineering and math with one of the most popular toys -- LEGO bricks. This must-see exhibit for LEGO enthusiasts includes 20 scaled replicas of iconic skyscrapers from around the globe... plus 200,000 loose LEGOS for you to play and create your own masterpiece. There's even a LEGO DUPLO building area for little kids!

Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO® Bricks is on display through August 24, 2025.

Can I bring food and water into the museum?

Yes! You can bring in snacks and water to the museum, and there are designated eating areas in the museums. You'll also cafe with seating that sells coffee, snacks, box lunch items, chips, etc. The gift shop has bottled drinks, candy and snacks. Outside The Dome, the theater, you can purchase fresh popcorn, drinks and candy -- this is our favorite place to grab snacks!

Is the museum stroller friendly?

Yes! The entire museum is ADA accessible. You will find both stairs and elevators around the property.

You can find more things to do with kids on @thewestendmom 's Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok !