The Museum first made history when the Prehistory Trail opened in 1967. Featuring 11 life-sized models of prehistoric animals—including Durham’s beloved Brontosaurus—the trail was one of the first outdoor dinosaur exhibits in the Southeast.

In the 1990s, the Museum concentrated on expanding north of Murray Avenue, enhancing both the main building and the outdoor science park. As a result, the Museum relocated and revamped its popular prehistoric exhibit. The Dinosaur Trail, which first opened to the public in the summer of 2009, now showcases 18 updated models, provides information about the late Cretaceous Period, and includes a Fossil Dig site where aspiring paleontologists can uncover real fossils!

• The deadline to purchase a brick is December 31, 2024. Bricks will be installed in the Dinosaur Trail by Spring 2025
• You will be contacted by email to confirm the wording on your brick. If you do not receive an email or a correction is necessary, please email Rachel Ripps at Rachel.Ripps@lifeandscience.org
• Your message must fit within the spaces provided on the brick size. For 4×8 bricks, there is a limit of three lines with 18 characters on each line. For 8×8 bricks, there is a limit of six lines with 18 characters on each line

• All text will be of standard size, font, and style. Greek letters and other symbols not found on a standard keyboard may not be used

• Messages will be centered automatically.  The use of upper and lower case lettering is permitted.  All spaces and punctuation marks count as a character

• The Museum reserves the right to exclude requests that it deems to contain inappropriate language

• The Museum will determine the final placement of all bricks on the Dinosaur Trail

• For the Museum to accommodate requests for bricks to be placed next to each other, please email Rachel Ripps directly at Rachel.Ripps@lifeandscience.org after submitting your order. Every effort will be made to accommodate these requests

• Each engraved brick will be incorporated on the visitor path for the lifetime of the brick and exhibit