Museum Design: The World's Largest Brachiosaurus at The World's Largest Children's Museum Blooloop

They lived 145 million years ago, walked on four legs, were three times as tall as giraffes, were as long as humpback whales and weighed up to 88 tons. They were so large that they probably had no predators, so they ruled the late Jurassic world and they are sure to rule The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

An approximately 50-foot-tall, 75-foot-long mother dinosaur will appear to lift the roof of the New Welcome Center, allowing her 30-foot-long child to enter the building. The gentle plant-eaters are among the most widely known dinosaurs in the world. Will you recognize them when you come face-to-face with them?

The three giant Alamosaurs bursting from the Dinosphere exhibit’s exterior help get children excited about entering the world of dinosaurs. It is our hope that the addition of the Brachiosaurus to the new expansion will continue to compel children and their families to explore the world of science, " said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Gary Staab of Staab Studios, located in Kearney, Mo. sculpted the two giant Brachiosaurs. They are the largest dinosaur sculptures that his studio has ever created. Staab Studios www.staabstudios.com has permanent displays at museums around the world including the National Geographic Explorers Hall in Washington D.C. and Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science.

The six-month creation process began with sketches of the Brachiosaurs, and then a team from the museum worked closely with Staab to create small, highly detailed models. The models were posed and scanned, and then the life-sized sculptures were carved in foam supported by an internal steel armature. A structural coating of polyurea was added to the foam pieces. Then the skin was sculpted and painted so that it would appear to be highly realistic, a hallmark of Staab Studios since it began in 1989.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World(TM) For more information about The Children’s Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org.