The Evolution of Dinosaurs exhibition brings visitors face to face with dinosaurs through the ages

The Finnish Science Centre Heureka will open The Evolution of Dinosaurs on Saturday, 3 October 2026. The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through time into the world of dinosaurs. Visitors will encounter more than 20 life-size dinosaurs presented in environments typical of their respective periods and geographical locations. The exhibition explores how dinosaurs evolved and adapted to a changing world, while revealing how the legacy of these ancient giants lives on in the birds of today.

Dinosaurs are part of the great story of evolution on Earth. They were living animals, not monsters from stories: they were individuals, lived as part of ecosystems, and evolved into an ever-growing variety of species. All dinosaurs descended from common ancestors that lived during the Triassic Period and were therefore related to one another. They lived and evolved across the globe.

Dinosaurs changed, evolved into new species and adapted to their environments according to the same principles of evolution as all living organisms. Evolution has no plan or ultimate goal. Through natural selection, it changes the characteristics of organisms in response to the conditions in their environment.

The Mesozoic Era, often known as the age of the dinosaurs, lasted for more than 180 million years. When all other groups of dinosaurs became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous Period, a small number of birds survived. The extraordinary diversity of birds we see today gradually evolved from these survivors. In a sense, we still live on a dinosaur planet: there are nearly 11,000 living bird species worldwide, roughly twice the number of mammal species.

The exhibition features more than 20 newly created robotic dinosaurs, produced specifically for the exhibition in collaboration with the US company Dino Don Inc. and based on the latest scientific research. The company’s founder, Don Lessem, is an internationally renowned dinosaur expert whose career has included serving as a scientific adviser on the film Jurassic Park.

On the exhibition’s opening day, Saturday, 3 October 2026, the public will have the opportunity to attend a free lecture in English by “Dino” Don Lessem at 3 pm in Heureka’s auditorium. Before the lecture, at 2 pm, the auditorium will host Movie Corner: Dinosaurs as Film Stars and Living Animals (age recommendation 12+, in Finnish). The programme will feature clips from Jurassic Park and examine the film’s scientific content in the light of current knowledge. Advance registration is required for both the lecture and the Movie Corner, and can be completed on Heureka’s website.

The Evolution of Dinosaurs exhibition will be on display at Heureka from 3 October 2026 to 5 March 2028.

Further information:
Exhibition Project Manager Päivi Garner, tel. 040 9015 271, paivi.garner@heureka.fi  
Exhibition website: Heureka - Exhibitions - The Evolution of Dinosaurs - Opens 3.10.2026 – Tiedekeskus Heureka