"Sea Monsters Unearthed" Opening Day

Sea Monsters Unearthed
May 30 – August 30, 2026 

Step into a lost ocean world.

“Sea Monsters Unearthed” transports you 70 million years back in time to the ancient waters of the South Atlantic—where massive marine reptiles ruled. Towering above it all is a 23-foot mosasaur skeleton, one of the ocean’s most formidable predators, alongside fossils of other powerful sea creatures that once dominated these waters.

This extraordinary exhibition brings to life a groundbreaking fossil site along the rugged coast of Angola, where an international team of scientists uncovered a missing chapter in Earth’s history. Through immersive photomurals and cinematic video, you’ll follow their journey into the field, where each discovery reshaped what we know about prehistoric oceans.

In collaboration with Southern Methodist University, the Mayborn Museum adds a local dimension—featuring fossils from ancient Texas seas alongside those from Angola. Together, they reveal a dynamic, ever-changing planet and the surprising connections between distant places long ago.

Dive beneath the surface. Trace the evidence. Discover how scientists piece together Earth’s past—and what it tells us about our future.

“Sea Monsters Unearthed” was created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, with support from ISEM at Southern Methodist University and Projecto PaleoAngola.