The Toulouse exhibition center (MEETT) is hosting this weekend Le Monde des Dinosaures, an exhibition dedicated to the giants of the Mesozoic era.
Jump back 230 million years and dive into a world where Earth was teeming with fearsome predators and herbivores. This Saturday May 14th and Sunday May 15th, the exhibition “The World of Dinosaurs” is taking place in the MEETT lounge. A complete immersion in the middle of Tyrannosaurs, Spinosaurs and other giants of the extinct species.
45 dinosaurs including 29 animated ones
The exhibition allows visitors to follow the evolution of dinosaurs from the Upper Triassic, when the first specimens appeared, until their extinction around 65 million years ago. To do so, 45 larger-than-life dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods are exhibited in Hall 2 of the show. Some have been reproduced in real size, explains Damien Gouvier, in charge of the tour of the exhibition: “The Tyrannosaurs are 5 m high and 13 m long. He needs a semi-trailer of his own to move it.” Among the dinosaurs, 29 of them are motorized, sound and animated. “They move as soon as visitors pass the sensors and cry out,” says Damien. For the observant, you can watch their eyes blink and their rib cages open and close as they breathe.
A second for the Pink City
“We had a lot of requests from Toulouse residents to come back and exhibit,” says Damien. In 2019, the event took place in the former exhibition center but in three years the world of dinosaurs has grown a lot. The number of species has almost doubled, and has been multiplied by 9 since the very first exhibitions in the early 90s. This love for the Mesozoic era is a family passion, which began thanks to the Jurassic Park saga. To this day it is perpetuated with Tony Klissing, director of the exhibition. The event now attracts audiences of all ages. “Dinosaurs are an intergenerational subject. It can fascinate three-year-olds as much as big fanatics of Jurassic World films,” says Damien. This year several activities are offered: a bone excavation workshop for children, using a brush they must find the fossils of the dinosaurs, a virtual reality helmet to come face to face with a giant of the species and an encounter with two baby dinosaurs.
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