T. rex rumbling our direction

A life-size replica of the world’s largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil is coming to town this spring.

“A T. rex Named Sue,” the extremely popular traveling exhibit created by Chicago’s Field Museum, is set to open April 28 at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

“It is going to be really exciting,” says Larry Schoonover, director of the museum’s exhibits and programs.

“We know dinosaurs are a popular topic,” says Schoonover. “A couple of years ago we held a Family MACFest on dinosaurs and more than 300 parents and kids showed up for a three-hour show on a Saturday afternoon.”

When the opportunity arose about 18 months ago to secure the traveling exhibit for a four-month run, the museum jumped on it.

T. rex was named after Sue Hendrickson, the field paleontologist who discovered it in a South Dakota field in 1990.

The monstrous fully-articulated cast skeleton stands 42 feet long and more than 12 feet tall at the hips. Sue’s skull measures five feet in length.

When T. rex roamed North America about 67 million years ago, it was one of the largest flesh-eaters to inhabit the Earth.

Sue will be on display in the museum’s largest gallery, which will allow for viewing from above. There will be numerous interactive pods and interpretive graphics that will help tell the dinosaur’s story.