Tampa's 'Big John' triceratops fossil opens to the public on Friday

It's new home is at Glazer Children's Museum.

By Ray Roa on Wed, May 24, 2023 at 2:53 pm

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Tampa's 'Big John' triceratops fossil opens to the public on Friday

Photo via Glazer Children's Museum

It’s finally time for the world’s largest triceratops fossil to come to life in downtown Tampa.

“Big John”—26-feet long and 10-feet-tall—has been under construction at the hands of a lunch-loving, wicked-funny and brilliant group of Italian paleontologists since the beginning of the year. He’s the centerpiece of a new Glazer Children's Museum exhibit that takes viewers into the Late Cretaceous period, complete with tunnels, interactive elements and more.

The Glazer Children’s Museum museum even waived its requirement that adults be accompanied by a kid to enter.

Big John opens on Friday, May 26 and is included with museum admission to Tampa's Glazer Children's Museum, but registration will be required for the timed visitation with the fossil.

Slideshow

Photos: Tampa’s ‘Big John’ triceratops skeleton is unveiled at Glazer Children’s Museum

On Feb. 1, downtown Tampa's Glazer Children’s Museum unboxed the fossil’s 700-pound skull, complete with the trademark triceratops horns.

76 slides

Photos: Tampa’s ‘Big John’ triceratops skeleton is unveiled at Glazer Children’s Museum

Click to View 76 slides

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About The Author

Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The...

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