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PRESS RELEASE
February 10, 2009

PRESS CONTACTS: Chad Mertz, (513) 373-6592, cmertz@cincymuseum.org; or Ben Cober, (513) 373-3242, bcober@cincymuseum.org

Feathered dinosaurs making United States premiere at Cincinnati Museum Center

New exhibit Dinosaurs Unearthed and OMNIMAX film Dinosaurs Alive explore exciting new theories in paleontology

CINCINNATI– On Feb. 13, Cincinnati Museum Center will welcome the United States premiere of Dinosaurs Unearthed, and the latest OMNIMAX film Dinosaurs Alive.

Dinosaurs Unearthed roars into Union Terminal as the largest dinosaur exhibit in the history of Cincinnati, with 24 full-size models. A thrilling and beautiful mixture of life-like sculptures and fully-articulated skeletons (some more than 62 feet long!), make this the most exciting dinosaur exhibit to ever claw and stomp its way into the country.

As exciting new discoveries have been uncovered in recent years, Dinosaurs Unearthed is the first exhibit in the world to feature a set of full-size, feather-covered dinosaur models.

In recent years, paleontologists across the globe have discovered and studied fossilized evidence that many famous dinosaur species, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, may have been covered in feathers to help camouflage, travel or even keep themselves warm.

“A selection of feathered dinosaur models illustrates the diversity of new forms discovered in recent years,” says Glenn Storrs, PhD, Museum Center’s Withrow Farny curator of vertebrate paleontology.

“The feathered dinosaurs of China confirm the long-suspected evolution of modern birds from extinct dinosaurian ancestors,” Dr. Storrs continues. “With each discovery, another evolutionary “missing link” is added to our understanding of the fossil record.”

In addition to the full-size feathered models, the exhibit has another component sure to please visitors. To make Dinosaurs Unearthed more interactive, the exhibit features eight animatronic dinosaurs visitors can actually control. Powered by smooth, tiny electronic motors, full-sized Baryonyx, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus and more come to life with the push of a button and the flip of a switch. With electronics instead of hydraulics, these models capture some of the most life-like motions ever created.

Accompanying the exhibit is the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater’s newest film, Dinosaurs Alive. The film takes visitors on an immersive journey back to the early Triassic period all the way through the late Cretaceous, following the tiniest of dinosaurs to the largest creatures that walked the earth.

Produced by the Maryland Science Center and in association with the American Museum of Natural History, the film explores the early roots of paleontology in the Gobi desert, and sweeps the audience through the beautiful landscapes of Mongolia, New Mexico, and into the famous halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Watch as newly discovered creatures, and even some familiar favorites, come alive through the magic of scientifically accurate, computer-generated animation! Audiences will be introduced to breakthrough discoveries, including the first Velociraptor, the first dinosaur nests with eggs, and fossils of early mammals that lived alongside dinosaurs in the Late Cretaceous Period.

The film also features actual footage from the 1920s as scientist and adventurer Roy Chapman Andrews led a team on five expeditions to the Gobi Desert to make these finds.

Following in the footsteps of Andrews, paleontologists Mike Novacek and Mark Norell, have been making annual expeditions since 1990 to the Gobi where they discovered some of the greatest dinosaur fossils ever found, including entire communities of animals, perfectly preserved. The film runs for the duration of the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit, which ends Sept. 7.

Dates, hours and admission

Feb. 13 through Sept. 7

Dinosaurs Unearthed
Non-members: $15 adult, $10 child
Members: $10 adult, $7 child
Exhibit hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; final entry into the exhibit occurs at 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and at 6 p.m. on Sunday

Dinosaurs Alive
Non-members: $7.50 adult, $6.50 seniors, $5.50 children (ages 3-12)
Members: $5.50 adult, $4.50 child
Standard show times are Monday: 1, 2, 3 and 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday: 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.; Friday: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m.; Saturday: hourly, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 9 p.m.; and Sunday: hourly, 11 a.m. through 6 p.m.

Dinosaurs Unearthed and Dinosaurs Alive are presented with support from Frisch’s, Local 12 WKRC-TV, The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Reds.


Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration. As one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest, Cincinnati Museum Center has served as an educational, research and entertainment resource to millions of visitors from around the world.

Organizations within Museum Center include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. These organizations combine to serve more than one million visitors annually, reaching out to nearly 400,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs.

Originally built in 1933 as a train station, Union Terminal stands as one of the last remaining grand-scale Art Deco style railroad terminals. The building is a National Historic Landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990.For information, call 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.

Cincinnati Museum Center gratefully acknowledges operating and capital support from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, the City of Cincinnati, Hamilton County and the State of Ohio.