College Welcomes Dino-Mite Visitors

On Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, three large-scale animatronic dinosaurs – a Dilophosaurus, a T. rex and a Triceratops – were delivered to the College of Charleston’s Mace Brown Natural History Museum at the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering (SSME).

T. rex delivered to the SSMB at the College of Charleston (Photo by Mary Muldroon)

Generously donated by Kevin and Petra Branigan, Daniel Island residents who are known for creating elaborate decorations for Halloween and Christmas every year, the dinos joined the family of three raptors and one baby T. rex already installed inside the SSME atrium.

Transporting the dinos from Daniel Island did not come with a playbook, and required three flatbed trucks, a forklift, cautious driving and skillful maneuvering by Carwin Logistics, the College’s Public Safety team and a lot of patience. Cars honked as the life-sized dinos traversed I-526 and people cheered while they continued down Calhoun and finally arrived at the College.

“We hope these dinos will inspire future generations of students who visit the museum to study science in the future,” says Sebastian van Delden, dean of the SSME. “I can’t thank Kevin and Petra enough for their generosity and enthusiasm for bringing wonder to the imaginations of the children and adults in our community.”

Dinosaurs now on display in the courtyard of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering Building (Photo by Mary Muldroon)

The dinos are on display and ready for visitors in the back garden of the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History. The museum houses over 15,000 fossils from around the globe and showcases a world-class exhibit on fossil whales and their evolution.

It also provides a unique resource for both teaching and the internationally respected research being undertaken at the College of Charleston.