T. Rextended - Due To Popular Demand Rare & Real T. Rex Extends Stay At Auckland Museum

In April 2022 Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum became the first ever Museum in the world to display Peter the T. rex. The Museum is delighted to announce that Peter the T. rex will remain on display until the end of 2023.

Peter the T. rex stay was due to end September 2022, but as a result of the enthusiastic response from visitors the stay has been extended.

Twelve metres long, nearly four metres high and displayed in its hunting position, this is one of a small number of almost complete fossil Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons in the world and the first real T. rex fossil ever to be exhibited in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr David Gaimster, Chief Executive at Auckland Museum, says “We are delighted Peter the T. rex is extending his stay at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum. He has been an extremely popular attraction and has certainly contributed to the record numbers of visitors to the Museum in recent months. Visitation in the first two weeks of opening was the highest since records began. We also know that families have returned to see the T. rex over and over again.”

Peter the T. rex was recovered from the famous 'dinosaur playground’ of the Lance Formation in Eastern Wyoming. While a fully intact T. rex skeleton has never been found, Peter is one of the most complete examples to date, with a significant number of the largest bones preserved in pristine condition.

Mounted in its natural hunting position, the T. rex skeleton is an awesome sight, particularly as it is almost completely black. While most dinosaur skeletons are brown, mineral deposits on Peter’s bones create a rare and visually stunning obsidian black colour. Only four black T. rex have ever been discovered; with the other three displayed in natural history museums around the world.

But there is another mysterious side to the skeleton, in the form of an ancient, unsolved murder case. At some point, some of the bones had been crushed and shattered, damage which could only have been caused by the powerful jaws of another T. rex. There is also a set of smaller parallel tooth marks on the femoral shaft suggesting feeding by a young tyrannosaur. Was Peter killed and then eaten in a battle over prey or territory? Examine the evidence for yourself as you explore the world of this powerful predator and its journey from discovery and excavation to reconstruction and final reveal here in Auckland.

Dr Matt Rayner, Curator Land Vertebrates at Auckland Museum says “We are so honoured to offer even more New Zealanders the chance to see or revisit one of the rarest, most complete T. rex skeletons ever found. A T. rex skeleton is an incredibly rare sight in New Zealand and one containing real fossils is even rarer.”

Recently Auckland Museum added to the T. rex experience by introducing six augmented reality dinosaurs, which visitors can track down through the Museum. As each QR code is scanned with their phone, visitors will see prehistoric giants come to life, right before their eyes.

Peter the T. rex is staying on at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum until the end of 2023.

Peter the T. rex is real, rare and still here - at your Museum. Free with Museum entry.

View the Scientific Report HERE

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