A towering new exhibition is set to take over Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery this summer, bringing visitors face-to-face with some of the most formidable creatures to roam the Earth after the age of dinosaurs.
Titled GIANTS, the showcase features life-sized 3D models and partial skeletons of massive prehistoric animals. Developed by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the exhibition will open to the public on 2 August 2025 and is scheduled to move to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh in January 2026.
Aquatic creatures are also present
Among the stars of the show are the mighty Otodus megalodon – a prehistoric shark thought to be the largest that ever lived – the iconic woolly mammoth, and Gigantopithecus blacki, a gigantic ape that dwarfs modern primates, weighing in at the equivalent of three orangutans.
Organisers promise that GIANTS is more than just a visual spectacle. The exhibit also explores the science behind fossil discovery, analysis, and reconstruction, offering insight into the methods used by palaeontologists to resurrect the past. Visitors will gain a behind-the-scenes understanding of how these colossal creatures are brought back to life through science, modelling, and interactive displays.
Various effects are used
The exhibition is designed to be immersive. Using projections and soundscapes, attendees will be transported into the ancient habitats of these extinct giants, experiencing their size and scale in vivid detail.
Zak Mensah and Sara Wajid, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, described the exhibition as an “inspiring installation” that captivates the imagination and delivers a powerful message about sustainability. “Its monumental scale reminds us of nature’s majesty and its vulnerability,” they said in a joint statement.
That message is echoed by Dr Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland, who emphasised that GIANTS shines a light on a “relatively neglected” chapter in evolutionary history – the period following the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
A shift from traditional exhibitions
This focus on post-dinosaur megafauna marks a shift from traditional exhibitions, which often centre on Jurassic predators. Instead, GIANTS explores how life rebounded and thrived in new forms, shaping the ecosystems we know today.
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which has recently undergone phases of reopening after long-term closures, is expected to draw large crowds with this landmark exhibition. It aligns with the museum’s broader efforts to engage audiences of all ages with natural history and environmental awareness.
Entry dates and ticketing information will be made available on the Birmingham Museums Trust website. For now, the countdown begins to what promises to be one of the most awe-inspiring cultural events of the summer.
