NHMU premiered DinoFest in 2017 and it immediately became one of NHMU's most popular events, drawing record-breaking attendance on its opening weekend. While the festival celebrates all things dinosaurs, an emphasis is placed on Utah's dinosaur discoveries which fill the Museum here in Salt Lake City. Special access is given to the paleontology collections and prep lab, and many community partners and activities fill the Museum. DinoFest is anchored by expert lectures presented by NHMU and visiting paleontologists from around the world, who explore a different theme each year.

DinoFest Speaker Lineup:

12:00 p.m. Keynote by Daniel Ksepka, Ph. D.Diving Into the World of Fossil Penguins

1:00 p.m. DinoBite by Neil Patrick Kelley, Ph. D.Here Be Monsters: Giant Ichthyosaurs and Their World

1:30 p.m. DinoBite by Nathan Ong, Ph. D.Making It by the Skin in Your Sheath: How a Turtle’s Soft Shell Helped It Survive an Apocalypse

2:00 p.m. DinoBite by Saana El-Sayed, Ph. D.Candidate Prehistoric Giants From Egypt

2:30 p.m. DinoBite by Kate Ritterbush, Ph. D.Bringing Fossils to Life With Robots and Video Games