Through the exhibit, visitors will be able to virtually traverse Nevada’s mountain ranges and see 20 fossils excavated between 1868 and 2022 before encountering a life-sized, virtually animated ichthyosaur that responds to movement. They can also see the 6.5-foot(!) skull of University of Bonn professor Martin Sander’s discovery, Cymbospondylus youngorum, from Nevada’s Augusta Mountains.

Fun fact: Cymbospondylus youngorum was the first giant animal to inhabit the globe and is named after Tom and Bonda Young, inventors of Icky (for “ichthyosaur”) IPA beer at their Great Basin Brewing Company in Reno and Sparks. The species is named after the Youngs in recognition both of fundraisers they held at the brewery to support Sander’s expedition and their transporting the whole skeleton encased in plaster from the Augustas to Los Angeles County’s Natural History Museum in the company’s beer truck.

Also at the exhibition, two new ichthyosaur species will make their debut. There will be exhibits dedicated to fossil hunters Mary Anning and Annie Alexander, in conjunction with a children’s book about Alexander and her discoveries. Children will also be able to enjoy the collection of vintage toy dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, as well as depictions of extinct marine creatures created by artists in collaboration with scientists.

Through Jan. 11