Dinosaur families set up home in Forest Hill

Forget super-nannies and toddler-taming – prehistoric parenting is the latest thing in Forest Hill, south London.

On 13 February 2016, The Horniman Museum and Gardens opens Dinosaurs: Monster Families, revealing the fascinating family life of dinosaurs through interactive exhibits, authentic specimens from around the world and life-size models.

The exhibition is a captivating experience for all the family, examining how dinosaurs cared for their eggs, nests and babies. Visitors can step back in time and meet ‘Baby Louie’, the near-complete skeleton of a dinosaur embryo; dig in the discovery pit; touch a real dinosaur leg bone; view an amazing collection of fossils including the longest dinosaur eggs ever discovered; and come face-to-face with T-Rex’s relative – a life-size Tarbosaurus skeleton cast. Dinosaurs will ‘fill’ the exhibition in vivid illustrations by artist Luis V Rey, and stunning photographs show some of the world’s renowned dinosaur hunters and their discoveries.

Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman, Jo Hatton, says: "We may think of dinosaurs as “monsters” but this exhibition reveals they were actually excellent parents who cared for their young. By studying fossils of dinosaur nests, eggs and babies, and comparing them to their living descendants such as birds and crocodiles, we can gain a new insight to the family lives of these creatures which continue to fascinate and enthral us."

Alongside bird and crocodile specimens from the Horniman’s collection, visitors can also see a fossilised egg of the extinct Elephant Bird, on loan from Sir David Attenborough’s private collection. 

An exciting programme of dinosaur-themed events and activities will also run throughout the year to complement the exhibition.

Dinosaurs: Monster Families is open at the Horniman Museum and Gardens from Saturday 13 February to Sunday 30 October 2016.   Tickets will be on sale from early 2016.

See www.horniman.ac.uk/dinosaurs for more information. Horniman Members enjoy free, unlimited visits to the exhibition. For information on how to become a Member see www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/membership.

Photograph: Oviraptor Embryo Model credit artist Dennis Wilson