They may have roamed the earth for 140 million years, but the super-sized sauropods only have two weeks left before they vanish from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science! Labor Day is the last chance to catch the popular The World’s Largest Dinosaurs traveling exhibition before it closes Sept. 1. The world-class traveling exhibition, presented locally by Highland Capital Management, is on view in the Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones Exhibition Hall. 

Extremely well received by visitors, The World's Largest Dinosaurs exhibition goes beyond traditional fossil displays to reveal how dinosaurs actually lived by taking visitors on a journey into the amazing anatomy of a unique group of dinosaurs: the long-necked and long-tailed sauropods, which ranged in size from 15 to 150 feet long.

Visitors will get to examine these creatures’ colossal bodies by viewing life-sized bones, muscles and internal organs and learn how heart rate, respiration and metabolism are linked to size. At the center of the exhibition, a model of a 60-foot-long female Mamenchisaurus, known for its incredible 30-foot neck, gives visitors an inside look at the dinosaur’s anatomy through video projections and innovative exhibits that show the heart, lungs and digestive and other systems at work.

Other highlights include a pump mechanism that allows visitors to try their hand at pumping blood for different sizes of animals and a dig site where young-at-heart paleontologists  arm themselves with picks, brushes and safety glasses to find their own discoveries.

Visitors also will learn that despite their small brains, sauropods were smart enough to survive for 140 million years, and that while their teeth and skulls were tiny, they were ultra-effective eating machines consuming around 100,000 calories a day. Visitors will also depart knowing why long necks were a key reason sauropods were able to get so big. And that dinosaur babies hatched from eggs about the size of a modern goose – but grew very, very quickly!

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with Coolture Marketing, Bogotá, Colombia.

TICKET AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Tickets to The World’s Largest Dinosaurs are timed entry and available on a first-come, first-served basis. To avoid long lines and sell outs, all visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase advanced tickets at perotmuseum.org.

The World’s Largest Dinosaurs requires a surcharge along with purchase of Perot Museum general exhibits admission for a total admission cost of $21 for adults (18-64), $17 for youth (12-17) and seniors (65+), and $15 for children (2-11). All children under 2 are free. Museum members receive free general exhibit hall admission and discounted admission for The World’s Largest Dinosaurs at $4 for adults and $3 for children, youth and seniors. Visitors may also “gigantic-ize” their visit by adding the short film Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia 3D for a bundled admission price of $25 for adults, $21 for youth and seniors, and $19 for children (under 2 are free).

HOURS

During the summer months, museum hours for general admission and the traveling exhibitions are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sundays from noon-6 p.m. On Labor Day weekend, the Museum will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30; noon-7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1. (NOTE: For future listings, please let your readers/viewers know that the Museum will be closed Sept. 2-3 for routine annual maintenance.)Please check perotmuseum.org for special holidays, extended hours and unexpected closings.

Members receive discounted tickets and members-only hours to see The World’s Largest Dinosaur. For details, call 214-756-5751 or go to perotmuseum.org.