Dino Festival brings prehistoric creatures, hands-on science to Martinsville
An animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex drew large crowds throughout the day. The Greek name for this dinosaur translates to “king of the tyrant lizards.”
A life-size animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex towered over visitors, costumed dinosaurs roamed the galleries, and children crowded around craft tables Friday and Saturday as Dino Festival transformed the Virginia Museum of Natural History into a celebration of prehistoric life.
The two-day festival, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the museum on Starling Avenue, combined family entertainment with opportunities to meet paleontologists, examine genuine fossils and learn how specimens are removed from the ground, prepared and preserved.
The animatronic T. rex made its Dino Festival debut and remained one of the event’s most popular attractions, regularly drawing groups of visitors for photographs. Other animatronic dinosaurs filled the museum’s special exhibit gallery, while life-size cast skeletons and skulls represented such prehistoric animals as Triceratops, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus and Acrocanthosaurus.
But museum officials emphasized that the festival was about more than spectacle.
VMNH Associate Curator of Paleontology Adam Pritchard holds an actual dinosaur tooth that he allowed the audience to touch.
Adam Pritchard, the museum’s associate curator of paleontology, showed visitors an actual dinosaur tooth and allowed audience members to touch it. Elsewhere, Paleontology Research Technician Lucy Treado displayed fossils she has been preparing in the museum’s laboratory and demonstrated how paleontologists carefully remove rock and other material from specimens.
Visitors also learned about fossil “jackets,” protective coverings made around fossils before they are removed from excavation sites. The jackets help keep fragile remains together during removal and transportation to a laboratory.
Among the significant specimens featured during the festival were approximately 100 million-year-old dinosaur footprints discovered along the Rappahannock River and donated to the museum this year. The footprints, made by animals ranging from two-legged meat-eaters to long-necked sauropods, were displayed publicly for the first time during the festival.
VMNH Paleontology Technician Lucy Treado works inside the paleo lab preparing fossils. During Dino Festival, she was on the exhibit floor showing off some of the fossils she's been working on and teaching visitors how fossil prep is done.
Although dinosaur bones have not been discovered in Virginia, the footprints provide evidence that dinosaurs once traveled through what is now the commonwealth. The museum’s paleontology collection includes dinosaur bones collected elsewhere, particularly during museum excavations in Wyoming. Some fossils recovered during those expeditions preserve impressions of dinosaur scales.
Representatives from the Museum of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, the University of Lynchburg and the Danville Science Center joined museum staff in offering fossil displays, demonstrations and activities. The participating organizations allowed visitors to examine specimens and learn how fossils and geological evidence help scientists reconstruct ancient environments.
An arts and crafts station remained busy throughout the festival, with children creating dinosaur-themed projects. Face painting, balloon animals, a photo booth and costumed dinosaurs added to the activities.
Outside, the Dino Dining District offered food and refreshments from several regional vendors. Martinsville Fire & EMS also stopped by, giving children an opportunity to climb inside a fire truck.
The festival served as the final opportunity to visit “The Age of Dinosaurs,” a special exhibition that opened in February and closed following Saturday’s festivities. The exhibition included fossils, animatronic dinosaurs, cast skeletons and interactive features such as a fossil dig pit. One display highlighted fossil evidence of an encounter between a Triceratops and a T. rex that the Triceratops apparently survived.
This child appears not to be quite sure what to make of the animated creature. “We’ll win her over, eventually,” said museum officials.
Dino Festival was supported by Brightspeed, Atlantic Union Bank, Bassett Furniture Industries, Carter Bank, Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, Hooker Furnishings, Renewal by Andersen of Roanoke, the Helen S. and Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Foundation Trust and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.
The Virginia Museum of Natural History is a state-supported agency and serves as Virginia’s official museum of natural history. Its scientific collections contain more than 10 million cataloged specimens in paleontology, archaeology, geology, mammalogy, birds, reptiles, amphibians and other fields. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction held by fewer than 5% of museums nationwide.
Museum officials thanked visitors, volunteers, vendors, partners, employees and sponsors for supporting the festival.
Dino Festival is scheduled to return July 23-24, 2027.
