Dinosaur Detective Bringing Its Final 2026 Tour Stop Home to Peterborough

By Scott Arnold

After travelling across Canada with real fossils, hands-on discoveries and plenty of dinosaur mysteries, Tim Jeffries is bringing The Dinosaur Detective back to his hometown for the final stop of the 2026 tour.

Peterborough native Tim Jeffries, known as the “Rockstar of Dinosaur Expertise,” is bringing The Dinosaur Detective to his hometown for the final stop of the 2026 tour on September 19th. (Photo courtesy of National Touring Museum)

For anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to investigate a world that disappeared 66 million years ago, there is one more opportunity to join the case.

The National Touring Museum will bring The Dinosaur Detective to Wesley Hall at St. James United Church on Saturday, September 19th, from 2pm to 4pm. It will be the final presentation of the 2026 tour and the only remaining opportunity to experience the show in person this year.

The presentation is led by Peterborough's own Tim Jeffries, a dinosaur expert affectionately dubbed the “Rockstar of Dinosaur Expertise” by CBC Radio.

Rather than simply sitting through a traditional lecture, audience members are invited to become part of the investigation. Jeffries brings genuine fossils and specimens from the age of dinosaurs for visitors to see, touch and examine while exploring some of the biggest questions surrounding these prehistoric animals.

How did dinosaurs become the dominant species on Earth? And what ultimately led to their extinction?

Jeffries combines science, storytelling, humour and hands-on discovery as he works through those questions with the audience.

“This is not just a lecture where you sit and listen,” Jeffries explains. “The audience becomes part of the investigation. They get to examine real fossils, ask questions, and help uncover clues from a world that disappeared 66 million years ago.”

The presentation is designed for children, families, dinosaur enthusiasts and curious adults, and the hands-on approach has been a major part of the National Touring Museum's work as it has travelled to libraries, museums, schools, community halls, festivals and special events across Canada.

The 2026 tour has taken Jeffries across the country, including a four-day stop at the Rockhound Gemboree in Bancroft, where he served as the event's lecturer.

Now, after thousands of people have taken part, the tour is coming to an end in the city Jeffries calls home.

“This tour has taken me across the country and allowed me to share the incredible story of dinosaurs with thousands of people,” said Jeffries. “To finish the tour here in Peterborough, my hometown makes this event especially meaningful. It is the final opportunity to see The Dinosaur Detective before this tour comes to an end.”

The final presentation takes place at Wesley Hall at St. James United Church, 221 Romaine St., Peterborough, on September 19th from 2pm to 4pm.

For those who have ever dreamed of becoming a paleontologist, or simply want to get a closer look at the prehistoric world, this will be the final case of the 2026 Dinosaur Detective tour.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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