Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum (Nottingham) is to play host to a T. rex exhibition that sets out to dispel some of the myths surrounding this apex Late Cretaceous predator. Thanks to the latest research and the discovery of a T. rex specimen in the Badlands of Montana in 2018, the exhibition depicts the “King of the Tyrant Lizards” as a real animal, a highly successful predator and possibly a social hunter too.

Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum T rex exhibition
A T. rex exhibition is coming to Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum in the summer of 2021.

“Titus: T. rex is King”

The exhibition entitled “Titus: T. rex is King” opens on Sunday 4th July 2021 and will run until August 2022, giving visitors the opportunity to view a real Tyrannosaurus rex specimen, the actual fossilised bones and teeth of arguably, the most famous dinosaur of all.

Digital and Immersive Displays

The fossilised remains of “Titus” – the nickname given to this particular specimen, will be revealed for the first time at Wollaton Hall, the venue that hosted the extremely successful “Dinosaurs of China” exhibition in 2017.

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore its life and environment using digital and interactive virtual media displays that tell the tale of the dinosaur’s discovery, subsequent excavation and the painstaking process of piecing together the life story of an iconic dinosaur.

Tyrannosaurus rex cast skeleton on display
Most museum exhibits are actually casts (replicas) of dinosaur fossil bones. This is a cast of BHI3033, the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as “Stan”.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Rare Opportunity to See Actual T. rex Fossil Bones

The “Titus: T. rex is King” exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see real T. rex fossil bones up close. The media release sent to Everything Dinosaur states that this is the first real Tyrannosaurus rex fossil skeleton to be exhibited in England for over a century. We are not entirely sure how valid that claim is, as some of the original Barnum Brown T. rex fossils may have been on display at the British Museum (later the Natural History Museum), at some time over the last 100 years.

T. rex fossils have been exhibited in Scotland recently. In 2019, specimen number RGM 792.000, the Tyrannosaurus rex known as “Trix” was put on temporary display in Glasgow. Nevertheless, the Wollaton Hall exhibition all 4,000 square feet of it, will permit visitors to investigate and to try and solve some of the mysteries surrounding this fearsome dinosaur.

T. rex replica outside the Frankfurt museum.
A well-known Frankfurt landmark. The T. rex outside the Naturmuseum Senckenberg . Tyrannosaurus rex attracts attention wherever it goes. The T. rex exhibition that went to Scotland featured a specimen that was awaiting the building of a new gallery at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden, Netherlands).  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Feathers or Scales?

Commenting on the significance of “Titus: T. rex is King”, renowned palaeontologist Dr David Hone (Senior Lecturer in Zoology at Queen Mary, University of London) and member of the scientific team tasked with bringing “Titus” back to life stated:

“Visitors will be able to explore the world of Titus and take a closer look at his particular features – his crushing bite, incredible eyesight and keen sense of smell, air-filled bones, weight, size and speed. And then look more closely at his make-up of muscle and tissue, with 3D scans of his bones to examine and handle – and try to decide if in fact he was covered in scales or feathers or both.”

Rebor King T. rex Data Sheet
Tyrannosaurus rex has fascinated people since it was first scientifically described in 1905 (Osborn), visitors to Wollaton Hall from July 4th will have the rare chance to view actual T. rex fossil bones and to review some of the latest research on this iconic dinosaur.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Models and Toys.

Arts Council England Funding

The Arts Council England provided the initial funding of £250,000 to secure the exhibition for Nottingham and the UK, allowing Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum to assemble a unique, expert team of palaeontologists, conservationists, and digital display specialists to tell the story of T. rex and the ancient landscape of North America 66 million years ago.

Rachael Evans, Museums Development Manager at Nottingham City Museums explained:

“Coming face to face with an actual T. rex is an experience very few in the world can claim. Even in skeleton form, Titus’ power and presence is unmistakable – we have had to dedicate the largest room at Wollaton Hall just to him alone! Titus T. rex is King will take you on a truly unique journey discovering all there is to know about this dinosaur – the largest predator in its ecosystem. The sheer size and scale of the skeleton takes your breath away. It is a truly an amazing discovery and an absolute must-see.”

Tickets on Sale Now (April 2021)

Tickets for “TITUS T. REX IS KING” are on sale now, set at £12.00 for an adult, £8.00 for a child (under 16 years), students and concessions, £32.00 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children under 16 years) and under 3s and carers have no entry fees to pay. Booking fees and car parking charges apply. With COVID-19 safety measures in place, booking in advance is essential.

Please note, this exhibition has now closed.