Opening March 13, 2026!

This bilingual exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore the surprising connections between dinosaurs, birds, crocodilians, and pterosaurs. Through immersive environments, hands-on discovery, and engaging storytelling, the gallery reveals how these remarkable animals are linked across millions of years of evolution.

Archosaurs are the group of animals that includes all living birds and crocodiles—as well as their extinct relatives such as non-avian dinosaurs, flying pterosaurs, and other ancient reptiles that once ruled land, sea, and sky. Scientists define archosaurs as all descendants of the most recent common ancestor shared by today’s birds and crocodiles. In other words, birds are living dinosaurs—and their story is still unfolding.

Your journey through the exhibition is guided by four lively characters, each highlighting a chapter in the archosaur story:

• Hoot, Keeper of the Flock explores modern birds as living dinosaurs, with rotating displays of birds alongside their nests and eggs.
• Spike, Your Prehistoric Pal leads visitors through feathered dinosaurs and the evolutionary origins of flight, featuring sculpted models and tactile learning experiences.
• Snap, King of the Crocs showcases powerful crocodilians—from the massive prehistoric Sarcosuchus to today’s American alligator—through climbable sculptures, skull replicas, and dramatic size comparisons.
• Breezy, Queen of the Skies brings the age of pterosaurs to life, with full-scale silhouettes of Quetzalcoatlus, a suspended Pteranodon, nesting scenes, and a volcanic horizon backdrop.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Additional support was provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, with funding secured by Senator Adam Gomez; and generous contributions from Harry and Lynne Ahern, Laurence and Barbara Derose, Bill and Patti Kelliher, and Susan Piccin.