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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

Journal / History

Dinosaurs

SUE the T. rex: A Dinosaur with a Name

One of the museum’s best-known residents, and how it came to be on display.

The skeleton of SUE the Tyrannosaurus rex, jaws open, in its gallery

A dinosaur with a name

SUE takes its name from Sue Hendrickson. The skeleton was unveiled at the Field Museum on 17 May 2000 and has been one of its best-known exhibits ever since.

Forty feet of fossil

The skeleton measures 40.5 feet (12.3 metres) from head to tail and stands 13 feet (4 metres) tall at the hip. The animal lived about 67 million years ago.

SUE the Tyrannosaurus rex in its earlier place beneath the arches of the main hall

Read next

Stanley Field Hall, with hanging plants under the skylight, a long-necked dinosaur skeleton and two elephantsMuseum guide

What to see
at the Field Museum

The newly built Field Museum on open ground, in a black-and-white photograph from the 1920sHistory & architecture

The story
of the museum

The Apollonaut collection

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