Life Before Dinosaurs
Journey to a lost world
Step back 290 million years to a time when strange and fearsome creatures ruled the land and sea—and discover the greatest extinction in Earth’s history.
Exhibit dates: January 31 – September 7, 2026
About the Exhibition
Life Before Dinosaurs: Meet the Permian Monsters brings a lost world to life with fossilized skeletons, hands-on dig pits, and full-size models from the Permian period, a time rarely discussed but crucial to Earth’s history.
The Permian ended with the largest extinction the planet has ever known, wiping out 90% of all species. For decades, scientists puzzled over what caused this catastrophe. Recent discoveries point to global warming triggered by massive volcanic eruptions, setting off a chain reaction that reshaped life on Earth. This exhibit explores that dramatic story and the creatures caught in it.
Blending art and science, the exhibition features striking new paleo artwork by award-winning artist Julius Csotonyi, alongside fossil casts, reconstructed models, and hands-on dig pits. Encounter giant insects, strange sharks, and mammal-like reptiles, including the fearsome sabertoothed predator Inostrancevia. Learn how these animals lived and how their extinction cleared the way for the rise of the dinosaurs.
Exhibit produced by Gondwana Studios
