Morris Arboretum & Gardens Goes Mesozoic!
See our new exhibitions Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs and Garden Railway: Dinos!
Philadelphia, PA—It’s a summer of dinos…and plants…at Morris Arboretum & Gardens! Travel back in time with two new exhibitions: Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs and Garden Railway: Dinos!, running from Saturday, May 25, 2024, through Monday, September 30, 2024. Learn more at morrisarboretum.org.
Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs is a new self-guided exhibition where visitors will learn more about the plants in our collection with roots that go back to prehistoric times. The Mesozoic Era was a time of great geologic and biological transition, with some of the hottest temperatures on Earth. As the climate changed, plants changed, too! Visitors can learn more about non-flowering plants like conifers, which dominated the landscape for millions of years, and about flowering plants that fostered part of the huge boom in numbers and types of dinosaurs.
There is also a brand-new dinosaur exhibition in the Garden Railway, Garden Railway: Dinos! Visitors will enjoy a spectacular display of Mesozoic Era creatures including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops and Velociraptor—all made from natural materials such as bark, nuts, leaves, seed pods, and twigs—nestled within one of the largest outdoor model train displays in the United States. With 15 different rail lines running along a third of a mile of trackage, the Garden Railway will delight and amaze visitors of all ages.
In addition, there will be dino-themed events and programs from May through September, including a pop-up paleontologist’s cottage featuring hands-on “dig stations,” dino story times, Fossil Fridays, and much more!
***Images are attached for your use. Photo credit for dinos: Applied Imagination***
ENJOY EXCITING EVENTS THROUGHOUT 2024
Except where noted*, all events are free with general admission.
Morris Arboretum & Gardens hours
Weekdays 10 am – 5 pm | Weekends 9 am – 5 pm; last entry every day is 4 pm.
Members: Free
Adults: $20.00
Seniors (65+ years): $18.00
Youth (3-17 years): $10.00
MAY
- Garden Railway seasonal opening Saturday, May 25
- Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs opens, Saturday, May 25
- Garden Railway: Dinos! opens Saturday, May 25
- Bubbles! Tuesdays from 11 am, May 28 – August 27
JUNE
- Moonlight & Roses* gala, Friday, June 2, 6 pm
- Fossil Friday, June 7, 11 am
- Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs tour, Saturday, June 8, 11 am
- Inflatable Dino Run! Saturday, June 15, 10 am
- Bubbles! Tuesday, June 27, 11 am
JULY
- Dino Weekend, Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13
- Fossil Friday, July 5, 11 am
- Bubbles! Tuesday, July 25, 11 am, dino dance party and cool dino mask-making
AUGUST
- Fossil Friday, August 2, 11 am
- Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs tour, Saturday, August 24, 11 am
- Bubbles! Tuesday, August 29, 11 am, bubble wand-making
SEPTEMBER
- Fossil Friday, September 7, 11 am
- Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs tour, Saturday, September 14, 11 am
ALSO COMING THIS SUMMER…
Exuberant Blooms, our annual modern take on Victorian flower carpets, gets even HOTTER this summer with eight beds of bigger, bolder, brighter, and more beautiful flowers! Spread over more than a quarter acre of open garden, the large paisley-shaped floral “islands” contain more than 10,000 plants with heights ranging from 8 inches to 8 feet. Exuberant Blooms is sponsored by The Powder Mill Foundation and Ball Horticultural Company.
For more information about any of these events, email Mellany Armstrong, Communications Coordinator, at mellanya@upenn.edu or call 610.329.4022 (cell).
The Morris Arboretum & Gardens is one of more than 30 Philadelphia gardens in America’s Garden Capital. This 92-acre horticultural display garden features a spectacular collection of mature trees in a beautiful and colorful landscape. The Morris offers educational programs for many audiences ranging from youth to professional and is a leader in botanical and horticultural research.
100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118 / 215.247.5777 / info@morrisarboretum.org
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