A paleontological jewel reaches the Altmühltal: the monumental original skeleton of the long-necked dinosaur “Arapahoe” — as an exclusive loan from the Paleontological Museum of the University of Zurich.
The Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal presents a spectacular loan from Zurich — the original skeleton of the monumental long-necked dinosaur “Arapahoe”.
A world sensation from the depths of Earth’s history is coming to the Altmühltal. In close partnership with the Natural History Museum of the University of Zurich, the museum is showcasing an exhibit of global standing — a fossil regarded in the scientific community as a palaeontological jewel.
This exclusive Swiss loan enables both institutions to bridge academic excellence and engaging knowledge-sharing: Earth history isn’t just explained in theory here—it’s brought to life.
“With ‘Arapahoe’, it’s not just a skeleton moving in with us, but a true natural wonder. It shows that cutting-edge research and public enthusiasm complement each other perfectly.”
Museum Director · Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal
The story of “Arapahoe” takes us back to the rugged Big Horn Basin in Wyoming. When researchers discovered the fossilised remains there, they found a prehistoric puzzle: the bones were scattered — a clue to an ancient drama.
In rugged terrain, researchers came across the fossilised remains — scattered and mysterious, as if an ancient drama had unfolded here.
Predatory dinosaurs had been gnawing at the carcass. A Torvosaurus tooth was still lodged in the arm bone — one of the rarest and most dangerous hunters of the Jurassic.
Over seven years, the treasure was meticulously prepared at the Sauriermuseum Aathal — and assembled in Denkendorf with millimetre precision.
Although the gigantic Diplodocus relative was still growing at around 18 to 20 years old more than 150 million years ago, the skeleton already measures an impressive 25 metres. That even substantial parts of the wafer-thin, delicate skull survived the millions of years is nothing short of a small miracle of natural history.
The museum in Denkendorf is one of the region’s leading experience-based knowledge centres. It combines a roughly 1.5-kilometre forest adventure trail with a museum hall — in the heart of one of the world’s most important fossil regions.
As a peaceful herbivore, “Arapahoe” is the ideal counterpoint to the hunters of prehistory — the pterosaur Dracula, the marine crocodile Dakosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. Added to this are the original predatory dinosaur Allosaurus “Little Al”, numerous impressive ammonites, and some of the most beautiful fossils from Painten in Bavaria.
