Denver Museum of Nature & Science Discovers Complete Triceratops Skull in North Dakota Badlands
DENVER, Oct. 6, 2025 —The Denver Museum of Nature & Science today announced the discovery of a Triceratops fossil from the Hell Creek Formation near Marmarth, North Dakota, with its skull, lower jaws, neck and ribs preserved together. Estimated at about 67 million years old, the specimen was excavated on U.S.D.A. Forest Service land and brought to the Museum this summer with help from students, interns and local partners; the specimen is now the most complete Triceratops skull in the Museum’s collection.
The Triceratops — named Triceratops Dreams because its exquisite preservation surpassed the paleontologists’ “wildest dreams” — is now on display in the “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibition, offering the public a rare opportunity to witness the uncovering and cleaning of the specimen and to learn more about the Triceratops’ growth and anatomy alongside the scientists.
“This is by far the finest Triceratops specimen I’ve encountered in more than 30 years of working in the Hell Creak Formation,” said Dr. Tyler Lyson, the Museum’s senior curator of vertebrate paleontology. “When you find Triceratops, usually portions have eroded away, but this specimen was found just as it was starting to emerge from the Earth.”
Weighing more than 5.4 tons — about the same as three minivans — the massive burlap-and-plaster field jacket containing the Triceratops specimen has been transported to the Museum, where fossil preparators will carefully remove the surrounding rock in public view in the “Discovering Teen Rex” exhibition beginning today.
“Having both the skull and neck intact makes this specimen particularly valuable for research,” said Natalie Toth, the Museum’s chief fossil preparator. “It could help fill in gaps in our understanding of Triceratops growth patterns and development.”
The fossil was initially spotted in the summer of 2024 by Casey Thater, a CU Boulder graduate student and Museum volunteer, who noticed part of the Triceratops shield poking out of a hillside. The fossil’s exceptional preservation prompted the team to return the following summer for a full excavation under a U.S.D.A. Forest Service permit.
More than 50 interns and students from 21 universities across four continents contributed to the excavation, adding muscle and momentum to the massive undertaking.
“Interns and students are the engine that makes our field and lab programs tick. Every single step is powered by young people psyched about fossils,” Salvador Bastien, a Museum fossil preparator and an excavation crew leader said. “This project simply wouldn’t have happened without them.”
Fossil preparators will spend months — possibly years — cleaning and studying the Triceratops specimen. Its completeness offers exciting opportunities for new research into growth stages, horn development and anatomy.
“This serves as another example of the exciting discoveries that await when we go out to explore the world around us,” said Lyson. “We’re excited to share the discovery of a world-class Triceratops fossil with the public for everyone to enjoy!”
Read more in Catalyst: How Museum Scientists Discovered a Complete Triceratops Skull in North Dakota
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About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain region’s leading resource for formal and informal science education. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. The Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Connect with the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Catalyst.