State Museum announces new exhibition, Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs & Babies, opening in January 2027

COLUMBIA – This January, South Carolina State Museum is set to host the exhibition Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs & Babies. Opening Jan. 23, 2027, the new exhibition offers a rare look at dinosaur life through authentic eggs and nests collected from around the  world. It explores the science behind dinosaur behavior, growth and development while introducing guests to the people and discoveries that have shaped what scientists know about dinosaur life.

“I’m incredibly excited to bring Tiny Titans to the museum, a traveling exhibition that features the largest collection of dinosaur eggs in North America,” said SCSM Curator of Natural History Dr. Scott Persons. “An exhibit on baby dinosaurs encourages guests to think of dinosaurs not simply as prehistoric monsters, but as animals that grew, nested and cared for their young. I hope visitors will gain a greater appreciation of how the science of paleontology works and will be fascinated by what fossils can tell us about dinosaur behavior and family life.”

Designed for visitors of all ages, Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs & Babies combines authentic fossils with hands-on exploration. Visitors can touch real dinosaur bones, examine reconstructed nests, dig for eggs, see life-like models of hatchlings and enjoy animated videos featuring dinosaur experts bringing their discoveries to life.

In addition to the interactive stations, the exhibition features an impressive collection of real dinosaur fossils, including a bowling ball-sized sauropod egg from Argentina. The egg was laid approximately 75 million years ago by a long-necked plant-eating titanosaur. Other highlights include a large cluster of eggs laid by a duck-billed, plant-eating dinosaur and the longest dinosaur eggs ever discovered, measuring almost 18 inches long and laid by a giant species of oviraptor, an ostrich-like dinosaur.

The exhibition is one of several new additions and updates to the museum’s Natural History gallery to be completed by the end of 2026. Along with Tiny Titans, guests will encounter cast skeletons of Deinonychus, Dimetrodon and Stegosaurus, a new mural depicting an ancient dinosaur habitat and authentic South Carolina fossils. These improvements reflect the State Museum’s commitment to creating more content to explore and more opportunities for guests to discover the museum’s extensive collection on display.

To celebrate the opening of Tiny Titans, the museum will host Fossil Fest: Roar and Explore Day, a special opening day event on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2027, featuring a live bird experience with Birds of Prey, special activities, opportunities to connect with natural history experts and exclusive Member Morning and more. Additional event details will be announced soon.

Entrance to Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs & Babies will be included with museum general admission or membership. General admission to the South Carolina State Museum is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, and $10 for kids aged 3-12. Infants 2 and under are free. For more information, visit scmuseum.org.