Travel
Smithsonian Natural History Museum Dino Exhibit Reopens!
On June 8, 2019, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History reopened the dinosaur and fossil exhibit after five years of renovation. The new exhibit, called "The Hall of Fossils - Deep Time," is a backward journey from future days to 4 billion years ago. The $110 million renovation features fossils, skeletons, dioramas, timelines, signs, short films and interactive displays presented in a visually engaging and stimulating layout.
Last week, we visited the revamped Hall of Fossils. My teenage son, who toured both the old and the new exhibition halls, was thoroughly impressed with the new hall's creative presentation and incorporation of modern technology.
In contrast to the former dark and static space, the new, brightly lit hall suggests continuous flow and movement through time with its careful space planning and graphic design.
The New Space
The Old Space
Having grown up watching Jurassic Park and prehistoric documentaries, my son enjoyed the new exhibits with dinosaurs interacting with each other, like the T-Rex eating the Triceratops.
He also points out, however, that there's a greater emphasis on the Cenozoic and Mesozoic Eras than on the Paleozoic Era, except for the Permian time period, and desired to see more from the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Carboniferous, and Devonian time periods. But that aside, he gave the museum a resounding thumbs up!
As you can see in the photos, the new exhibition hall and summer tourist season is bringing large crowds. I expect it will continue to be that way for months to come. You can escape to other parts of the museum, which are a little less crowded, if you need a break from the packed spaces.
Check the museum's website for details about visiting the museum. And check the press release for more information about the new exhibit.
