November 15, 2022

A new Danish museum is set to open this spring, showcasing dinosaur fossils valued in the hundreds of millions. The Museum of Evolution, opening this spring, is Knuthenborg Safari Park's largest undertaking ever. The museum will showcase unique and genuine fossils of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, with a combined value in the hundreds of millions. These fossils have never before been displayed in Denmark and include a specimen of the extremely rare Archaeopteryx, known as the world’s most important fossil for its evidence supporting Darwin's theory of evolution.

What began as a small natural history collection is now expanding into a large, standalone museum filled with spectacular fossils of dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. Many of these extraordinary and highly valuable finds have been excavated over the past few years and represent 300 million years of evolutionary history.

“The ambition for the Museum of Evolution is to use the animals of the past to put today’s wildlife into perspective, with a unique collection of genuine fossils from fierce dinosaurs and other fascinating creatures. These include real skeletons from exciting finds like Archaeopteryx and Torosaurus, and later this winter, we’ll also reveal a previously unknown dinosaur species. These are some of the world’s most well-preserved dinosaur skeletons from true giants that walked the Earth millions of years ago,” says Christoffer Knuth, director of Knuthenborg Safari Park.

The Museum of Evolution, located within Knuthenborg Safari Park, spans over 1,000 square meters and will house real skeletons from six dinosaurs, ten animals from the Permian period, and a range of large Ice Age animals. Some of the fossils were excavated by the Museum of Evolution itself on the American prairie, while others are on permanent loan from the United States. The total value of the displayed dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals is in the hundreds of millions.

To enhance the experience of these unique skeletons, the exhibition reinterprets the traditional museum experience, incorporating light and sound art supplemented by a scent environment, which adds a whole new dimension to storytelling. Scents may be bloody, earthy, swampy, or even fresh and grassy.

“The Museum of Evolution is an exciting addition to Denmark’s experience industry, with international appeal, as dinosaur exhibitions of this caliber attract a dedicated international audience. We know this creates interest and recognition abroad,” says Brian Mikkelsen, director of the Danish Chamber of Commerce.

A World Sensation Ready for Opening

At the Museum of Evolution’s opening on April 1, 2023, visitors can look forward to experiencing a true world sensation, as the museum has uniquely been granted the opportunity to exhibit an extremely rare Archaeopteryx, which can only be seen in a few places worldwide.

Archaeopteryx is considered the most important fossil for our understanding of evolution. It lived alongside dinosaurs 150 million years ago and provides evidence of Darwin’s theory of evolution, being half bird and half dinosaur. Only 12 specimens have been found worldwide, and this one, discovered in Germany in the 1990s, is registered as the world’s eighth.

“Archaeopteryx is incredibly rare and highly fascinating. The first Archaeopteryx was discovered shortly after Darwin described his theory of evolution, and it actually supports the theory itself. It has been instrumental in our understanding of life and is called the world’s most important fossil,” explains Christoffer Knuth.

For most of its known history, this Archaeopteryx has been in private collections. Now it is on display to the public and available to science.

Collaboration with Researchers and Museums

The large, rare skeletons at the Museum of Evolution in Knuthenborg Safari Park are not only for public display; the museum is already collaborating with some of the world’s leading dinosaur researchers in the United States, as the fossils are made available for research.

In Denmark, the research is led by dinosaur expert and paleontology Ph.D., Jesper Milàn, a museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe, in collaboration with the Museum of Evolution's paleontologist Anna Øhlenschlæger and the Conservation Institute of the Royal Academy.

“Having this unique collection of skeletons in Denmark, and accessible for research, opens up many new opportunities for international research collaborations. With the Museum of Evolution’s goal to quickly incorporate all research results into their exhibits, it will be an exciting and educational place where children and adults alike can learn about these amazing prehistoric animals,” says Jesper Milàn.

Leading up to the opening, the Museum of Evolution in Knuthenborg Safari Park will continue to reveal more information about the many large dinosaurs and ancient creatures that the public can look forward to experiencing.