The American Museum of Natural History’s Dinosaurs Among Us exhibit takes flight at Nehru Science Centre, revealing how birds are living dinos
A child plays with a puzzle at the newly-opened ‘Dinosaurs Among Us’ exhibition at Nehru Science Centre, Worli. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
Who would have thought an ostrich had so much in common with a dinosaur? But look at a side-by-side image of a Struthiomimus—often dubbed the “ostrich mimic”—and the similarities are striking. The long legs and beaked mouth make the dino look like a featherless ostrich. The two belong to different eras, but genetically, they are not that far apart.
This uncanny resemblance is just one of the many fascinating evolutionary links explored in Dinosaurs Among Us, an immersive new exhibition at the Nehru Science Centre in Worli. A collaboration between Get Set Learn and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the exhibition invites visitors to imagine a world where dinosaurs never really went extinct, they just evolved into birds.
“This exhibition offers children and families an immersive, hands-on journey into one of science’s most captivating ideas—that birds are living dinosaurs,” says Ameet Zaverii, CEO and co-founder of Get Set Learn. “We hope that the visitors will immerse themselves in the subject matter and get excited to learn about palaeontology and explore and understand the world around them.”
Spread across a room, the exhibition pairs stunning visuals with detailed wall text (in English and Marathi) that trace the evolutionary journey of dinosaurs. It’s a lot of text, admittedly. This is why a guided walkthrough helps, especially for children or grown-ups who might not pause and read every panel.
But what makes the exhibit engaging is how immersive it is. Young visitors can play palaeontologist at the digging pit and uncover faux fossils hidden in the sand. There is a puzzle of a dinosaur skeleton to piece together, interactive kiosks with digital games, and a fun clay station where you can stamp and take home your fossil print. All of these activities have been plugged in by Get Set Learn to make the experience engaging enough for kids. The exhibition actively encourages you to observe like a scientist, make connections, and get your hands dirty, literally.
Drawing from research and models developed by AMNH in New York, the showcase features an extraordinary cast of dinosaur reconstructions, illustrated to help visitors understand them better. There’s the Velociraptor, which is smaller than pop culture would have you believe and covered in feathers. And the flightless Citipati, whose brooding posture mirrors a nesting hen’s. The specimens underscore the powerful idea that the characteristics we associate with birds today—hollow bones, feathers, nesting behaviours—were all present in dinosaurs first.
For activity schedules and Earth Day events—including a fossil stamping station, nature walk, and treasure hunt—you can visit Instagram and follow @nehrusciencecentremumbai or @getsetlearn.official or visit
nehrusciencecentre.gov.in.
When: Daily, 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Nehru Science Centre, Worli
Price: Rs 50
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
