Celebrate Dino Day on Sunday, March 29, from 11 AM – 4 PM at the Downtown Library!
Step back into prehistoric times with fossils from the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. Learn about archaeology with a special performance by Spinning Dot Theater, make dinosaur-themed crafts, and unearth fossils with our dino dig sites!
2026 Schedule
11:30 AM – 12 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
Dig! An Interactive Performance
Dig! introduces young audiences to the wonders the world of paleontology holds. In this interactive performance, an enthusiastic young explorer shares the many treasures she finds at her dig site. From dinosaur bones to stones, each artifact has a story trapped inside. Join her as she seeks to uncover fossils and identify a mysterious dinosaur footprint! Play length is 20 minutes.
11:30 AM – 1 PM | 4th Floor Program Room
Screening: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
After Sid pilfers some dinosaur eggs, Manny, Diego and the rest of their prehistoric pals enter a mysterious, underground world to rescue the hapless sloth. During the course of their mission, the gang encounters many creatures great and small, including hungry carnivores and a relentless, dinosaur-hunting weasel named Buck. This 94-minute film is rated PG.
12 - 3 PM | Secret Lab
Dino Dig Sites
No one is too small to be a paleontologist with our dino dig sites! Use tools to excavate fossils and toy dinosaur skeletons.
12 - 3 PM | Lower Level Program Room
Crafts
Drop in and make fun dinosaur-themed crafts!
2 - 4 PM | 4th Floor Program Room
Screening: The Good Dinosaur
What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of. This 100-minute film is rated PG.
2 - 2:30 PM & 3 - 3:30 PM | 1st Floor Lobby
How to Become a Fossil
Explore how fossils are created. What parts of an animal become fossilized? How old are the earliest fossils? Touch fossils, discover how things fossilize, and see how fossil casts are made in the museum! This event is presented by the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History.