In November 2023, I wrote an article describing several noteworthy changes I observed taking place in the fossil gallery of Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). At the time, I believed these updates signaled positive change for the Temerty Gallery of the Age of Dinosaurs, as the renovations signaled the potential for exciting new additions to one of Canada’s best natural history museums.
Much has changed since that article. Not only did those renovations end after over 2 years of work – resulting in a gorgeous and much improved fossil hall – but I have since become an employee of the ROM. Admittedly, this doesn’t make me the most objective person to review the new additions, but since when has paleontology been an entirely unbiased field of research?
The most prominent change to the Temerty Gallery isn’t the dinosaurs themselves, but the architecture. The previous iteration was divided into two sections by massive, sloping walls that created large areas of negative space. Those walls have now been removed in favour of sleek, minimal framing that considerably opens the gallery. This change alone has transformed the Temerty Gallery into a vibrant, free-flowing space that is both visually appealing and far easier for visitors to navigate.
Their removal – along with new floors to replace the former metallic walkways – has added approximately 3,500 square feet to the gallery. As you can imagine, this expansion has allowed the ROM to add several new specimens to their already plentiful galleries.
The headlining addition is undoubtedly Zuul crurivastator, arguably the most complete clubbed ankylosaurid known to science. Not only is a mounted replica of Zuul displayed smashing the shins of the tyrannosaurid Gorgosaurus libratus, but the real skeleton of Zuul rests beside the gladiator-style mount. I have long hoped for more dynamic displays of dinosaurs at the ROM, so to see both the real skeleton of Zuul and a dramatic combat scene in the middle of the gallery is, by itself, worth the price of admission!
These are not the only Zuul-related specimens on display, as real skulls of both Zuul and Gorgosaurus can be found next to the larger mount. Behind the central display, animated footage of Zuul defending itself against Gorgosaurus can be enjoyed at your leisure. And, for those who wish to experience what it is like to touch an armoured dinosaur, bronze casts of Zuul’s tail club and skull – plus a miniature Zuul for good measure – make wonderful additions to enhance the hands-on experience of visitors.
If Zuul isn’t your cup of tea (a ridiculous notion, I know), several other new additions may catch your eye. First, the mounted skeleton of Wendiceratops pinhornensis has gained a permanent home next to the skull of its cousin Centrosaurus. One thing I love about the Wendiceratops display is its ground level position, resulting in eye-to-eye contact with one of the most gorgeous faces in the fossil record.
Several smaller additions are scattered throughout the gallery, including the holotype of the dromaeosaur Acheroraptor, the frill of Styracosaurus, and material from the ornithomimid Ornithomimus. Going back to my 2023 article, I am proud to say that all three dinosaurs I predicted would be incorporated into any new displays – Zuul, Wendiceratops, and Acheroraptor – are now on exhibit.
Yes, I realize all three were quite obvious choices. Still, it’s better to be right than wrong!
The last major addition is the skull of a Daspletosaurus. First displayed in the traveling T. rex: Ultimate Predator exhibit back in 2022, the skull is remarkable not just for its appearance, but for its size, easily surpassing the nearby cranium of Gorgosaurus. Tyrannosaurids may not be my favourites (team Ceratopsia over here!) but I’m sure visitors will be thrilled to see the surplus of tyrant dinosaurs now on display.
Yet in my eyes, the most striking part of the renovated gallery is not the new specimens, but how several existing specimens have been elevated. In the previous layout, visitors entering from the museum’s elevators were greeted by several theropods: Albertosaurus (since reclassified to Gorgosaurus), Anzu, Dromaeosaurus, Deinonychus, and Ornithomimus. However, the narrow hallway and dim lighting obscured rather than showcased them. This was especially true for the dromaeosaurids/raptors, which were often overshadowed by the larger Gorgosaurus found standing above them.
The renovations have relocated the theropods to the central portion of the new gallery, thus giving each specimen more space and attention. The overhead lighting design is particularly fantastic, giving a sense of brilliance to each specimen and drawing the visitors eyes. Although their postures have remained unchanged, it feels as though more life has been given to each specimen. Nowhere is this clearer than with Deinonychus, whose elevated position at eye level with the visitor makes the specimen almost scary to look at.
In their former location are the fossils of several marine reptiles and invertebrates from the Jurassic Period. Although all the specimens are unchanged in how they are mounted, the expanded space makes them feel more lifelike than before. I may sound like a broken record, but it really does feel as though the removal of the walls adjacent to the marine reptiles and the subsequent space added has reinvigorated the gallery.
If there’s a broader lesson here, it’s that revitalizing museum galleries doesn’t require a complete revamping to be successful. The ROM’s renovations have demonstrated that redesigning lighting, space, and visitor flow can elevate even the most well-regarded museum displays.
Of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have Zuul either!
All in all, I’ve have thoroughly enjoyed the changes to the ROM’s fossil galleries. The renovations have transformed the fossil hall into an expansive, vibrant space that I would highly recommend even without the addition of several fascinating new specimens. Whether you are a diehard paleonerd or simply interested in seeing a very large, very armoured dinosaur smash another dinosaur with a club the size of a football, the Royal Ontario Museum’s fossil gallery is the place for you!
This post was NOT paid for by the Royal Ontario Museum. Shocking, right?
Works Cited:
Age of Dinosaurs gallery reopens at Royal Ontario Museum after exciting new expansion
Max's Blogo-Saurus 