Year: 2025
Dino Dig
Step Outside and Into The Past
PLEASE NOTE: Dino Dig is outdoors and weather dependent.
Are you ready to unleash your inner paleontologist? Look no further than our outdoor dino dig park! Get your hands dirty as you dig for replica bones and experience the thrill of excavating prehistoric treasures.
Step back in time and immerse yourself in the world of dinosaurs. Our dino dig park offers a unique opportunity for both kids and adults to learn about the fascinating field of paleontology. Equipped with brushes, and other essential tools, you’ll feel like a real scientist as you carefully uncover and unearth replica bones.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the thrill of paleontology firsthand. Visit our outdoor dino dig park at the Putnam Museum and embark on a journey back in time.
Look Forward to Dino Days
Plan to join us August 15 through 16, 2026 for our annual Dino Days event. This exciting event is a must-see for dinosaur enthusiasts, especially for our younger visitors. Join us for a fun-filled day of prehistoric adventure and discovery.
Our exhibits and activities will transport you back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. Meet a real paleontologist, interact with life-sized dinosaur puppets, catch a dinosaur movie and so much more! Mark your calendars for August 2026!
Elephants: Giants of the Desert
Strength, Power and Wisdom
Elephants are symbols of strength, power and wisdom, and they have captured our imaginations for centuries. “Elephants: Giants of the Desert” is an epic journey across Africa’s Namib Desert, getting up close and personal with the largest land mammals on the planet. Making one of the world’s oldest desert home, the desert elephants are one of nature’s most inspiring examples of survival and adaptation. Follow the journey of an elephant baby, Little Foot, as she learns how to elephant from her elephant family, led by a wise Matriarch.
Brave the desert’s elements and use some elephant superpowers, from finding underground aquifers to foreseeing sand storms. The film will reveal the hidden magic of a seemingly otherworldly and formidable landscape, where a cast of iconic animals from giraffes, monkeys to lions form a unique canvas of life.
Upcoming Showtimes
Wild Rescue – 3D
Heal A Heart. No Matter The Size!
Experience the inspiring journey of animals given a second chance at a wild life in this giant screen adventure. Based on the work at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, this uplifting film follows the dedicated teams who rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and orphaned wild animals.
From the arrival of a fragile bobcat to the rehabilitation of a young fox, explore hospital admissions, groundbreaking medical treatments, and the delicate balance of wildlife care. Baby birds, nocturnal creatures, and even pelicans undergoing surgery highlight the interconnectedness of all species and the innovative efforts of modern conservation.
With breathtaking cinematography and heartwarming moments, Wild Rescue reminds us that every creature deserves a second chance—and that hope is worth fighting for.
Upcoming Showtimes
Putnam Board
The Putnam Board of Trustees
Our Putnam Museum Board of Trustees help to guide the museum and support our mission by making crucial decisions for the organization.
Officers
Kerry Smith, Chairman
Amanda Crowell, Secretary
Mike Poster, Treasurer
Members
Brian Baxter
John Bracke
The Honorable Jade Burkholder
Heather Dunn
Amanda Crowell
The Honorable Jason Gordon
Jessica Daniel Clark
Victoria Graves
Tim Hanley
Gale Hoff
Joe Judge
Ben Palmer
Jim Kiesey
Adam Pelzer
Mike Poster
Michael Reyes
Gregory P. Schermer
Dianna Shandy
Kerry Smith
Will Steiner
Follow us on social media to get the latest news and updates!
Putnam Dino Expedition
A Triceratops is Heading To the Quad Cities!
We are trilled to announce our plans to bring an adult Triceratops skeleton to the Putman for the greater Quad City community.
The skeleton is currently being excavated at a dig site in remote Lusk, Wyoming. The Dino Expedition from summer 2025, unearthed 32 Triceratops bones and one bonus T. Rex tooth. The bones are currently being prepared at the Fryxell Geology Museum at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.
The multi-year project was made official last summer when our Vice President of Museum Experiences, Kelly Lao, visited the excavation site. During that time, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Founder and Executive Director at Leap Lab, agreed to host the dig expedition, assist with bone prep and fabricate any missing pieces that are not found when unearthing the skeleton.
“The Putnam is thrilled to partner with Leap Lab to bring a triceratops to the Quad Cities.” Says Kelly Lao, Vice President of Museum experience. “This collaboration combines cutting-edge science with immersive education, inspiring curiosity and wonder in our community. It’s not just about showcasing a dinosaur; it’s about sparking the imagination of future explorers, scientists, and lifelong learners.”
The Triceratops fossils will make the Putnam Museum and Science Center the only place in Iowa where visitors can see a full dinosaur skeleton. We expect the skeleton to be installed in 2027 and be a permanent addition to the museum’s over 250,000 item collection. Throughout the multi-year project the museum plans to keep the Quad City community involved with project updates, including a community naming contest, a dino lab allowing guests to see the prepping of the bones, multiple appearances around town and much more!
This long-term and monumental project is supported by multiple partners and sponsors, including the Quad City Cultural Trust, Augustana College and the Fryxell Geology Museum, VictoryXR, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Leap Lab: Ventura County Science Center, Eastern Wyoming Nature Center and local Jurassic Park aficionado Colin Parry. We will also have opportunities for community members to contribute to the “Bring the Dinosaur Home to the Quad Cities” project through in person donations at the museum and online.
“This project feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the museum,” said Putnam President & CEO Cindy Diehl Yang. “As I’m relatively new to the Quad Cities it’s an honor to be a small part of bringing something this epic to this amazing community. With a project this big we can’t do it alone, thank you to our partners, especially Quad City Cultural Trust and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. This will be the community’s dinosaur, and we will need everyone’s support to bring the dino home!”
Return to the Lost World – 3D
The Dinosaurs Are Back...
The highly anticipated sequel to Red Star’s smash-hit attraction film THE LOST WORLD sees a helicopter accident leave stressed executive Bob adrift in a boat at sea. Traumatised by his earlier encounters, Bob’s worst nightmares come true when he finds a terrifying dinosaur stowaway on board. But his only hope of rescue lies on the dinosaur infested island from the first film, and Bob has no choice but to take his prehistoric passenger along, face his fears and RETURN TO THE LOST WORLD.
The Lost World – 3D
Experience A New World of Adventure!
“The Lost World 3D” takes you into a whole new world of adventure, forty millions years in the making. Bob is a stressed executive who heads to a deserted island for a much-needed vacation. It’s a perfect place to relax, with sandy beaches and coconut trees… until his paradise turns out to be home to a lost world of prehistoric dinosaurs! Fierce Raptors, flying Pterosaurs, giant Triceratops and Stegosaurus, and the mighty T-Rex all roam this hostile world. Join Bob and his unlikely rescuer, Professor Lizzie, as they outrun these terrifying predators. Take a wild jeep ride through dense tropical rainforest and soar above this forgotten island in the flight of your life. A comic, fast-paced, entertaining and immersive 3D adventure.
A Red Star film
An nWave Pictures Distribution release
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48-Hour Film Challenge
Make A GIANT Film In Only Two Days!
Are you a film maker looking for a challenge, an opportunity to create an amazing film in just 48 hours? Here’s your chance! Form a team and sign up to create a 3 to 5 minute short film for the Putnam’s second annual 48 Hour Film Challenge.
Prizes Available in Two Categories:
Critics’ Choice
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$300.00*
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Trophy
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Free waiver code to submit your short film to Alternating Currents 2026.
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Free movie passes for all winning participants to The Last Picture House.
Audience Favorite
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$200.00
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Trophy
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Free waiver code to submit your short film to Alternating Currents 2026.
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Free movie passes for all winning participants to The Last Picture House.
*Winning films will be shown preceding feature films on select Thursday nights following the contest.
How The Challenge Works
Participating teams will meet in the evening on October 9, 2026 at 4 pm to discuss the prompt, rules, and answer any questions. The films will be shown on the GIANT screen on October 11, 2026 at 7:00 pm, complete with concessions, a social hour, and a red carpet!
Each team pays a $30 signup fee, by October 2. 2026. Films are recommended to have a 16:9 aspect ratio at 1080p or higher.
Don’t have equipment? Most smartphones have a strong enough video capability to meet the recommended specs! Just be sure to film horizontally.
To edit your movie at no cost, you can use Adobe Express, CapCut, or Canva!
Please call or email Molly Franklin at (563) 336-7290
Register Your Team!
Please note that there is a 20 team limit. Teams that sign up after the maximum is reached will be placed on a waiting list.
