Schiele Museum Opens New Dinosaur Exhibit

The Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs

Posted Saturday, September 26, 2026 7:33 pm

By: Ashley Reep - Wise News Network

“There’s a bit of mystery about how they lived, and we only know about them because of their fossils, and we have to piece together bits of information to tell the story.”

– Tony Pasour, Assistant Director of Schiele Museum

Gastonia, NC (WNN) - After years of planning and preparation, the Schiele Museum of Natural History, located at 1500 E. Garrison Blvd. in Gastonia, has officially opened its newest major exhibit, the Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs, on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

The new hall brings the prehistoric world to life with 14 full-scale dinosaur skeletons, authentic fossils, and interactive displays for visitors to explore.

A Lifelong Passion Comes to Life

For Tony Pasour, the Assistant Director at the Schiele Museum, the project has been decades in the making. As a lifelong dinosaur enthusiast, Pasour said he was the child who brought toy dinosaurs to school, read dinosaur books, and dreamed of working at the museum.

Tony Pasour, Assistant Director | Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

“33 years ago, I looked around, and there was no dinosaur guy at the Schiele Museum, and I thought I could be that.”

- Tony Pasour, Assistant Director of Schiele Museum

That passion led him to study dinosaurs, build an educational collection, and take groups into the field to excavate fossils. Eventually, when the opportunity arose to renovate an existing gallery, he saw a chance to create something he had wished for growing up.

“I could provide something to our community that I didn’t have as a kid, and I could do it right here at my favorite place.”

- Tony Pasour, Assistant Director of Schiele Museum

Visitors to the new hall encounter some of the most recognizable dinosaurs in history, including T. rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Brontosaurus, as well as dozens of other prehistoric species.

Saving the Fossils From Extinction

Dr. Kraig Derstler, a paleontologist who helped supply, prepare, and install fossils for the exhibit, has spent much of his career working with dinosaurs. Derstler began as a college professor, teaching students about dinosaurs, fossil collections, and preparation techniques. He also operated a laboratory where students and researchers worked on fossils.

Dr. Kraig Derstler, Contractor | Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

After retiring from academia, Derstler said retirement lasted only a few months before he returned to paleontology. He eventually joined Triebold Paleontology in Colorado, where he has spent the past several years collecting, preparing, and installing dinosaur specimens for museums worldwide. That work brought him to Gastonia.

Derstler originally collected the specimens during his time leading university expeditions. Years later, when his former university ended its paleontology program, the skeletons were left without a home (essentially facing extinction all over again). Thankfully, Triebold Paleontology stepped in, helping give these dinosaurs a new home at the Schiele Museum.

Talking With A Paleontologist

While the massive dinosaurs may capture visitors’ attention, museum staff say one of the hall’s most remarkable specimens is Monty, an Edmontosaurus fossil. Though incomplete, Monty is a “dinosaur mummy,” with preserved skin impressions along his tail. Even more remarkably, his bones show evidence that he survived multiple bites from a Tyrannosaurus rex, with signs of healing from the injuries.

Dr. Nickolas Brand, Paleontologist | Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Dr. Nickolas Brand, the museum’s curator of research and collections and a paleontologist, called Monty an “amazing world-class fossil” and a potential focus of future research at the museum.

A Look Into the Prehistoric World

The exhibit isn’t designed to showcase famous dinosaurs. Instead, museum staff hopes visitors leave with a better understanding of the ecosystems in which these animals lived. As the lights change from dawn to dusk, the dinosaur displays come to life, and visitors encounter various prehistoric species throughout the hall, allowing them to see how dinosaurs interacted with the larger world around them.

Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

Tony Pasour Assistant Director | Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs - The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Planetarium - Gastonia, NC - September 25, 2026

(Use the arrows above to navigate the photo gallery)

And while dinosaurs may have disappeared millions of years ago, the fossils they left behind continue to provide scientists with clues about their lives.

“There’s a bit of mystery about how they lived, and we only know about them because of their fossils, and we have to piece together bits of information to tell the story.”

- Tony Pasour, Assistant Director of Schiele Museum

That story now has a new home in Gastonia. The Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs is now open to visitors at the Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. You can visit the museum Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM.

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North Carolina Press Association Member

Schiele Museum Opens New Dinosaur Exhibit

The Elizabeth Williams Robinson Hall of Dinosaurs

A Lifelong Passion Comes to Life

Saving the Fossils From Extinction

Talking With A Paleontologist

A Look Into the Prehistoric World

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