Beneath the Bones: Behind-the-Scenes Fossil Tour at Carnegie Museum and Tyrannosaurus rex Holotype

Introduction: A Glimpse Behind Museum Doors

In this episode of Shortwave, NPR host Regina Barber takes listeners on a field trip to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. The journey starts with a sense of awe as the gallery bones loom overhead, yet quickly shifts to the quiet, data-rich world of behind-the-scenes storage. The episode sets up the central tension between exhibiting fossils to the public and preserving specimens for ongoing scientific study, a balance that drives daily museum operations. Barber introduces the museum staff who curate vertebrate paleontology and manage vast collections, foreshadowing the revelations awaiting visitors in the basement and the significance of holotypes in fossil science.

The Holotype and Tyrannosaurus rex

The tour reaches one of science’s crown jewels, the holotype of Tyrannosaurus rex, the reference point for every other T. rex fossil. The staff explain how holotypes function as the gold standard for defining a species, and how the skull and bones in the exhibit upstairs are connected to the components stored downstairs. The moment is rendered personal when Barber asks to touch the skull fragment, and the paleobiologist confirms its accessibility within strict preservation parameters. This section emphasizes the careful stewardship required to keep these irreplaceable bones intact while enabling ongoing scientific comparison and education.

“these are like the real bones” - Regina Barber

Behind the Scenes: The Basement and Its Collections

The narrative moves to the bowels of the museum, where the staff describe the vast scale of the collection—roughly 22 million objects stored in about 100,000 square feet of space. The conversation reveals storage constraints, the prioritization process for what goes on display, and the daily math of shelving and housing. A paleobiologist explains how specimens are prepared for study, cleaned, and maintained for long-term viability, while the director of museum experience discusses how visitors’ access to science is shaped by these hidden operations. The segment highlights how research needs and exhibition opportunities coexist within a finite space and how sound levels and vibrations are monitored to protect bones from damage during events and exhibits.

“22 million objects in your care” - Sarah Davis

Public Access vs Scientific Access: A Delicate Balance

The discussion pivots to the practical realities of displaying science without compromising research. Barber and Crawford describe exhibits that allow scientists to study while audiences observe, including gatherings where a researcher examines a specimen in an exhibit space. The conversation also touches on how special artifacts, such as a mastodon or a plesiosaur vertebra from a recent Antarctic expedition, find their place in the museum ecosystem. Throughout, the episode conveys the sensory richness of collections—the smell, the sounds, and the tactile closeness to history—as a pivotal dimension of the behind-the-scenes experience.

“the smell of going into collections, it’s like I’m an art kid” - Sarah Crawford

The Museum Ecosystem: Awe, Education, and Community

The finale circles back to the human side of paleontology: the staff’s reflections on why they pursue behind-the-scenes access and how gift shops and public programs complement science. Barber, Crawford, and Davis articulate a shared aspiration to convey that intimate, privileged feeling of proximity to the specimens while making science accessible and engaging for visitors of all ages. The episode closes with Barber observing how the entire museum ecosystem—from researchers to the gift shop—contributes to the public understanding of Earth’s deep past and the living practice of science.

“that feeling of going behind the scenes into collections is something that I wish I could communicate to every visitor” - Regina Barber