Big John is roaring into the Glazer Children’s Museum for the next three years
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – He’s 66 million years old, the size of a mobile home, and his new home is right in downtown Tampa at the Glazer Children’s Museum.
His name is Big John, the triceratops.
At 10 feet tall and 26 feet long, it is the largest Triceratops fossil in the world. It was discovered in South Dakota in 2014 by Walter Stein, who was alone when he found the first horn.
“He told me the most amazing thing,” recalls Kate White, who works at the museum. “Seeing that alone, he felt a moment of awe. He realized, “I’m the only person in the world who has seen this dinosaur.”
It’s a big deal that he’s in Tampa. Big John is the first full-size dinosaur skeleton ever displayed in Tampa Bay.
Seeing a real dinosaur is certainly fun for kids, but Big John is also a learning tool, teaching them how dinosaurs behaved in prehistoric times.
If you look at his skull, you can see a spot on his ruff. Paleontologists say this likely means it was involved in a traumatic fight with another triceratops.
Big John will call the museum his home for three years. It is on loan from the Pagidipati family of Tampa, who purchased the skeleton at auction.
Starting this Friday, May 26th, you and your family can experience Big John up close. Make sure you do to make a reservation so you don’t miss out on the prehistoric fun.
