Los Angeles is getting a prehistoric showdown, but thankfully nobody has to outrun an actual velociraptor to see it. The Natural History Museum is bringing back its Prehistoric Fight Night, where experts will debate which dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals would dominate in a no-holds-barred fossil-era fantasy matchup.
The after-hours event is set for Friday, Aug. 21, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at NHM Commons inside the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. According to the Natural History Museum, admission is $15 for the general public and $10 for members, with parking sold separately.
The evening starts with an Ice Age brawl before shifting into a dinosaur battle, with science communicators and museum experts weighing in on the likely winners. NBC Los Angeles reports that the program will consider matchups involving mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats and dinosaurs, including the perennial fan favorite, the T. rex.
Fossils, Fighter Pins And Dinosaur Hall After Dark
Guests will be able to see rarely displayed fossils from the museum’s collections, make a Choose Your Fighter pin and explore Dinosaur Hall after regular museum hours. The official schedule also lists a 7 p.m. Ice Age program, an 8 p.m. dinosaur showdown and a 9 p.m. book signing and meet-and-greet with Ted Rechlin of Rextooth Studios.
Rechlin, an author, illustrator and science communicator, will face off with experts from the La Brea Tar Pits and the Natural History Museum as the crowd decides which ancient creatures deserve prehistoric bragging rights. As NBC Los Angeles notes, attendees can even signal their allegiance with a handmade pin supporting a saber-toothed cat or velociraptor.
The museum’s regular hours generally end at 5 p.m., making the event a rare chance to roam its galleries into the evening. Tickets are available through the museum’s event page, and the lineup offers a reasonably civilized way to settle the question that has fueled playground arguments for generations: Which prehistoric beast was the ultimate heavyweight?
