Barosaurus and Allosaurus

Part of Theodore Roosevelt Memorial.

Representation of the fossils of a Barosaurus and Allosaurus fighting, each on a separate platform in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall. Alvaro Keding/© AMNH

An imagined prehistoric encounter greets every visitor who uses the Museum’s Central Park West entrance: a Barosaurus rears up 50 feet (15 m) above the ground in front of a stalking Allosaurus, making it the world’s tallest freestanding dinosaur mount.

How does the huge skeleton of Barosaurus—a long-necked, long-tailed sauropod—stay up? Faux bones! It’s built from casts of the real fossils, which are too heavy to display in this way. In 2010, the Museum cut an eight-foot-wide pathway between the dinosaurs, allowing visitors to walk through the display.

The grand hall where this exhibit has stood since the 1990s is the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, an interior New York City landmark and part of New York State’s official memorial to the 26th U.S. President.

The Barosaurus and Allosaurus are featured in our list of Highlights. Check out the rest of our must-see exhibits!