Mole Antonelliana hosts T. rex exhibition from 17 December

Mole Antonelliana and the National Cinema Museum in Turin will host the T. rex exhibition from 17 December 2026. T. rex vs. T. rex will bring two Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons together inside one of Italy's best-known museum buildings.

T. rex exhibition opens at Mole Antonelliana on 17 December

The National Cinema Museum will open T. rex vs. T. rex: From fossils to cinema icons to the public on 17 December 2026. The exhibition will run until 31 January 2028, while its inauguration is scheduled for 16 December 2026. The museum confirmed the revised schedule after moving the public opening from 20 November.

The change was announced on 21 October 2026 by the museum, which said the later date would allow the final installation work to be completed while keeping the venue open during the ATP Finals and the Torino Film Festival. The announcement also states that assembling the two large skeletons will require a temporary closure of the museum for several days. The official exhibition announcement places the display in the Temple Hall at the Mole Antonelliana.

The Temple Hall links Turin architecture with cinema history

The display will place the two skeletons facing each other in the Temple Hall, connecting paleontology with the museum's long-standing focus on film and visual culture. The surrounding exhibition will examine how dinosaurs moved from fossil evidence into cinema and popular storytelling.

The building was designed by Alessandro Antonelli in 1862 and construction was completed in 1889. It reached its present height of 167 metres in 1906, and the city-owned landmark became the home of the National Cinema Museum after renovation work between 1996 and 1999. Its museum route rises through the building, with temporary exhibitions shown along the helical ramp. The Turin exhibition listing describes the installation as a meeting point between palaeontology and cinema.

The exhibition date therefore places a new dinosaur display inside a building already organised as an upward journey through cinema history. Visitors will encounter the skeletons in the central museum space before continuing through the surrounding displays and the building's established exhibition route.

What changes for visits in December 2026

The revised opening gives visitors a public exhibition date after the installation period. The museum's announcement says the venue will remain available during the ATP Finals and the Torino Film Festival before the new display opens on 17 December 2026.

Visiting Mole Antonelliana: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• T. rex vs. T. rex opens to the public on 17 December 2026 and continues until 31 January 2028 at the National Cinema Museum.
• The exhibition is in the Temple Hall, where two Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons will be displayed facing each other; the announcement does not state that the exhibition changes access to the panoramic terrace.
• The venue is at Via Montebello 20 in Turin. The building houses the National Cinema Museum and its exhibition route rises through the helical ramp.
• The building reaches 167 metres, while the panoramic terrace stands 85 metres above the ground. Visitors using the exhibition route should expect an interior museum visit that includes rising levels and a helical ramp.

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Frequently asked questions about Mole Antonelliana

When does T. rex vs. T. rex take place at Mole Antonelliana?

The exhibition opens to the public on 17 December 2026 and runs until 31 January 2028.

What is Mole Antonelliana?

It is a Turin landmark designed by Alessandro Antonelli that houses the National Cinema Museum. The building reached its present height of 167 metres in 1906.

Where is Mole Antonelliana and how do you get there?

The museum is at Via Montebello 20 in Turin. Its interior exhibition route includes the Temple Hall and the helical ramp.