Original ROM exhibition explores the iconic dinosaurs that were both wily predators and winged wonders

TORONTO, October 15, 2026 – With scene-stealing blockbuster film appearances and worldwide recognition as the namesake of Toronto’s championship-winning basketball franchise, raptor dinosaurs have captured imaginations as some of the most fearsome – and fascinating – prehistoric creatures Earth has ever known. 

This winter, a new original exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) will bring these iconic predators into sharper focus, separating pop-culture myth from scientific discovery – to reveal what science and the fossil record tell us about the real animals behind the lore.

Raptors: Fierce & Feathered Dinosaurs, presented by Desjardins Financial Group and running from December 19, 2026, to September 6, 2027, examines the unique biology of dromaeosaurids – popularly known as raptor dinosaurs – such as Velociraptor, Deinonychus, Utahraptor, and Microraptor, including their avian-like features and evolutionary connection to modern birds.

Curated by palaeontologist Dr. David C. Evans, ROM’s Chief Curator of Natural History and the James and Louise Temerty Endowed Chair of Vertebrate Fossils, Raptors brings together the latest discoveries on this iconic group of dinosaurs – research that has accelerated following their starring role in director Steven Spielberg’s classic 1993 film Jurassic Park – and other subsequent pop-culture references since.

The scientific view of raptors may be surprising to those who only know them from the movies – the latest research reveals they were covered in feathers, were brainy for dinosaurs but probably not as clever as portrayed in films, but they were capable of complex social behaviours (and maybe even pack hunting), and they were likely doting parents to their offspring.

Raptors are the group of dinosaurs most closely related to birds, as the two groups share a common ancestor dating back to the middle of the Jurassic era. Because of their bird-like traits, raptor discoveries over the last century have not only changed the way we view these animals, but fundamentally reshaped our scientific understanding of dinosaur biology, behaviour, and evolution.

“Curated by one of the world's leading palaeontology experts, this ROM-original exhibition brings raptors to life through remarkably preserved fossils, intricate casts, and an immersive experience that will transport visitors back to the prehistoric era,” says Nicholas R. Bell, ROM Director & CEO. “This is a unique chance to encounter some of the most extraordinary dinosaurs to have roamed the Earth and discover their lasting connection to the birds we know today.”

Raptor fossils have been found on every continent, but due to their often small and delicate bones, they are relatively rare in the fossil record – particularly full skeletons. While they ranged in body size and shape, raptors shared key features: an enlarged killer claw on a specialized second toe, and a stiff, rod-like tail. Like most theropods (meat-eating dinosaurs that walked on two legs), they were also covered in feathers.

The exhibition showcases some remarkable raptor specimens, including a rare original skeleton of Saurornitholestes langstoni nicknamed “Havoc” – the most complete, best-preserved dromaeosaurid from North America, discovered in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park. Visitors will also marvel at a life-sized replica of the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” discovered in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, featuring skeletons of Velociraptor and the plant-eating Protoceratops locked in a predator-prey death match.

“This must-see exhibition for dinosaur fans of all ages brings together raptor species from all over the world, and tells the story of their biology and evolution for the first time,” says exhibition curator Dr. David C. Evans. “The latest scientific research paints an incredible picture of these bird-like dinosaurs that is sure to surprise and fascinate visitors.”

Additional exhibition highlights include a large-scale immersive experience that transports visitors 66-million years into the past to the time of Tyrannosaurus rex to encounter a group of Acheroraptor temertyorum – a meat-eating raptor nearly three metres long and weighing 40 kilograms – that was a close cousin to the Velociraptor.

And, in one particularly fun and memorable section, a different kind of legendary Raptor will be featured. When visitors arrive at the display of raptor footprint tracks, they will also encounter original bronze cast of a handprint of the Greatest Toronto Raptor of All Time, Kyle Lowry, displayed alongside as a size comparison.

“ROM excels at presenting immersive, visual experiences that aren’t just educational, but can also create a sense of wonder,” says Séverine Clairet, Vice-President, Marketing, Member/Client Experience and Culture, Desjardins Financial Group. “Desjardins is pleased to continue our partnership with an institution that wants to share the history of our physical world and contribute to Toronto's cultural fabric.”

“Dinosaurs have been embedded in pop culture for generations, across media and interests,” said Zee Hamid, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “ROM’s new exhibition, Raptors: Fierce & Feathered Dinosaurs, challenges our preconceptions of these animals with exciting new research and information. This is a rare opportunity for visitors of all ages to expand their understanding and develop a new appreciation for these fascinating predators.”

Raptors ultimately traces how, for tens of millions of years during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, these bird-like raptor dinosaurs evolved alongside their bird cousins. Later discoveries showed definitively that raptors had feathers, and revealed many more examples of bird-like traits – cementing the idea that birds are living dinosaurs.

As birds face increasing threats from human activity and climate change, Raptors: Fierce & Feathered Dinosaurs gives visitors a whole new insight into the evolution of the feathered friends we see all around us today, while revealing their connections to extinct dinosaur predators that still endlessly fascinate us.
 

Membership
ROM Members will have the first opportunity to see Raptors: Fierce & Feathered Dinosaurs during Member Previews on Friday, December 18 from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday, December 19 from 10 am to 12 pm.