Water, Land and Air:
Real Primeval Sensations
New exhibition · since 24 July 2026
Real. Huge.
25 metres long · original skeleton · a world sensation from Earth’s history
A palaeontological jewel reaches the Altmühltal: the monumental original skeleton of the long-necked dinosaur “Arapahoe” – an exclusive loan from the Palaeontological Museum of the University of Zurich.
Original skeleton
of a sauropod
25 m long, 5 m tall
as long as two coaches
Over 150 million years old
found in the Big Horn Basin, Wyoming
Mostly original bones
in exceptional condition
Ammonite Masterpieces
Special exhibition
Beauty and science – imagination and research. In hardly any other group of fossils are these aspects so closely interwoven as with ammonites.
The special exhibition showcases the fascination and beauty of ammonites.
Germany's most fearsome teenager
T. rex continues to fascinate as the most powerful carnivorous dinosaur of all time. Tyrannosaurus hunted large herbivores. With the strongest bite force of any land predator ever, it could even crush the thickest bones.
“ROCKY“, ten metres long, is an extremely rare juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, found in the US state of South Dakota. The original skeleton is currently on loan to the State Natural History Museum in Beijing.
Until he returns, our museum hall shows an elaborately constructed, exact replica, so you can still experience Rocky’s size and presence up close.
The T. rex of the Skies
“DRACULA” is the life-size reconstruction of the largest and heaviest pterosaur ever found – a spectacular unique specimen. With a wingspan of 14 meters and a height on all fours of about four meters, it surpasses all previously discovered pterosaurs – and is larger than many small aircraft. Its bones are hollow and thin-walled, so the giant creature probably weighed only a few hundred kilograms. “Dracula” was discovered in 2009 in Transylvania, Romania.
Agile Killer
Allosaurs are considered the “bad boys” of film history. In numerous Hollywood productions, these agile predatory dinosaurs are portrayed as aggressive and dangerous hunters and scavengers. “LITTLE AL” is the original skeleton of the youngest Allosaur ever found. The two-year-old Jurassic predatory dinosaur could run faster (up to about 35 km/h) and with more endurance than larger contemporaries and probably fed on carrion or smaller animals it preyed upon. Paleontologists discovered “LITTLE AL” in 2011 during an excavation in the US state of Wyoming.
Deadly Sea Crocodile
Dakosaurus was the undisputed ruler of the Jurassic Sea. This sea crocodile stood at the top of the food chain there. It fed on marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs and its lifestyle probably resembled that of modern marine predators such as the Great White Shark or orcas. The fossil of this five-meter-long animal is the world’s largest slab limestone fossil ever. It is approximately 130 to 150 million years old and was found in Painten, Bavaria.
Unique: 150-million-year-old ray is the first of its kind!
At the Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal, a real sensation awaits you: Jochen, a ray over 150 million years old, has been identified as the world’s first specimen of a previously unknown species. The fossil, originating from the Upper Jurassic layers of Painten, is exceptionally well preserved and provides exciting new insights into the evolution of rays.
A Scientific Milestone
In January, Jochen’s scientific description was published in the renowned journal PLOS ONE – a significant moment for paleontology. This officially confirms that it is a completely new species of ray.
“This find expands our understanding of the early stages of ray development and their evolutionary branches,” says paleontologist and co-founder of our museum, Raimund Albersdörfer. The outstanding state of preservation of the fossil is particularly impressive.
Experience Jochen at the Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal
With a length of 1.20 meters and unique skeletal features, Jochen clearly differs from all previously known ray species. Now you can marvel at it yourself! The impressive fossil is on display in our exhibition.
Come by and discover the fascinating story of Jochen – a true fossil treasure from the Upper Jurassic!
