Discover what happened next

After the Age of Dinosaurs

In the wake of dinosaurs, plants and animals reshaped Earth into a lush, tropical world teeming with new giants, tiny survivors, and strange life both familiar and strange.

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Exhibition Summary

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Discover how a colossal asteroid ended the dinosaurs' reign and paved the way for life’s astonishing comeback, shaping the world we know today. Meet unfamiliar creatures, explore immersive media experiences, and marvel at fossils from the Field Museum's renowned collections.

Through Labor Day, children see this exhibition for free (add up to 4 free child tickets for each paid adult ticket. Child ticket ages 3-11).

Exhibition Highlights

Feel the impact of the asteroid that ended the Age of Dinosaurs through immersive media and real fossil evidence, including a fish that died on the day of the event.
Discover how scientists reconstruct this lost world through DNA, with surprising evidence of evolutionary survival and adaptation.
Meet the enormous species that took over after the dinosaurs! Touchable casts of fossils from snakes, crocs, bats, plants, frogs, and more bring a prehistoric ecosystem to life.
Trace the transition from “hothouse” Earth to a cooler world more like our own, one still changing today.

Image slideshow

Gallery

  • Chicago-based illustrator Jay Ryan, known for his playful and imaginative screen prints, brings the post-dinosaur world of After the Age of Dinosaurs to life through original artwork created specifically for this exhibition. Jay’s signature style is both accessible and scientifically grounded, helping tell the story of a strange and vibrant Earth in recovery.

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Chicago-based illustrator Jay Ryan, known for his playful and imaginative screen prints, brings the post-dinosaur world of After the Age of Dinosaurs to life through original artwork created specifically for this exhibition. Jay’s signature style is both accessible and scientifically grounded, helping tell the story of a strange and vibrant Earth in recovery.

Track the transition of a still-changing Earth

  • 66 million years ago
  • 66 million years ago + 1 day
  • 66 million years ago + 1 year
  • 66 million years ago + 10 years
  • 66 million years ago + 1,000 years
  • 66 million years ago + 100,000 years
  • 65 - 60 million years ago (1-6 million years after impact)
  • 56 million years ago (10 million years after impact)
  • 52 million years ago (14 million years after impact)
  • 52 million years ago (14 million years after impact)
  • 34 million years ago (32 million years after impact)
  • 6 million years ago (60 million years after impact)
  • 3 million years ago (63 million years after impact)
  • Since the mid-1800s
66 million years ago

An asteroid seven miles wide hits the Earth and incinerates everything within 1,000 miles.

Screen reader users can skip the following slideshow buttons by using heading navigation. All slides have been displayed above.

Acknowledgments

This exhibition was created by the Field Museum.

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