MOR features marine-based showcase of creatures past
Museum of the Rockies has turned its calendar to a new year, joining the rest who hope 2021 will bring about better fortunes. As we await a return to business as usual, MOR will house a new exhibit for curious minds later this month: Savage Ancient Seas opens January 23rd.
Walk beneath what must be the fossil version of the Loch Ness Monster; a 42-foot-long Elasmosaurus. Dive into an ancient underwater world 70 million years ago when carnivorous fish and giant sea reptiles swam a vast, shallow sea spanning North America. See more than 50 prehistoric marine skeletons, many on display for the first time in Montana! While dinosaurs ruled the land, these strange, spectacular creatures ruled the sea.
In partnership with Triebold Paleontology, Inc., Museum of the Rockies will create an ancient underwater environment where visitors will experience enormous, vicious sea monsters of the Cretaceous Period. The exhibition includes numerous prehistoric marine fossils, both cast and real specimens, mounted in extraordinary three-dimensional displays. The skeletons are mounted dramatically, many suspended from the ceiling above, immersing visitors inside a fearsome ancient ecosystem.
Highlights include:
– A 45-foot-long Tylosaurus, the largest mosasaur skeleton ever found in North America
– The largest turtle that ever lived, Archelon, an enormous sea turtle with a 17-foot flipper span
– Flying reptiles the size of hang-gliders: Pteranodon, fly overhead with wingspans over 11 feet
– The vicious and large “X-fish,” Xiphactinus, the biggest bony fish of the Cretaceous Period.
Please note: Because admittance is limited, MOR encourages visitors to make advance reservations. Walk-ins admitted if availability allows. Face-coverings are required for entry.
MOR is now open from 9am–4pm daily. For more information about featured exhibits, membership details and to make a reservation, visit www.museumoftherockies.org. •
