From the iconic (replica) diplodocus that greets visitors in the grand hall of this impressive edifice to the grouchy, smoke-shrouded animatronic T-Rex that bustles visitors out of the standing exhibition, the National History Museum has always done dinos well.
Long before interest was revived in these strange creatures thanks to CGI and Steven Spielberg, the museum was patiently explaining what all the fuss was about.
So the fact of this special exhibition is more about grabbing a summer audience than branching out into new territory.
In the small exhibition space, serenaded by animatronics, there is arguably less material here than in the permanent exhibition.
There are the usual interactive displays, stuff you could "take home" via internet scrapbooks, solid research and fascinating objects, explained efficiently.
The animatronics may appear a little limited but, on my visit, there were enough three-year-olds clinging to the walls afeared of their presence to suggest they might have the desired effect, if the desired effect is to demonstrate that it truly was an alien world all those many millions of years ago.
If the exhibition has a "bits we couldn't show elsewhere" feel and if the £10-for-an-adult price tag feels a little steep, console yourself with the context.
There is enough in this stuffed museum - including the Darwin Centre's new cocoon (an oasis of tranquility amid the madness elsewhere) to make this a day-long destination.
And if the money goes to its upkeep, then I'm not complaining.
– From June 2011
