Sue the T-Rex is being assembled at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax. (CBC)A fascinating piece of prehistoric history goes on display Saturday at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax — the world's most exquisite remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

The fossilized remains of Sue the T-Rex were discovered 21 years ago in South Dakota. This showing will be Sue's Canadian debut.

Although the dinosaur died 65 million years ago, she's as famous as an international rock star as casts of her bones tour the world to adoring fans.

"It is exactly like that. It is five tractor-trailers full of Sue, a crew of 10-plus and more crates than [Irish rock band] U2," museum spokesman Jeff Gray said Tuesday.

What makes this fossil unique is its pristine condition, paleontologist Deborah Skilliter said. There are about 30 known T-Rex skeletons in the world, but none is as perfect or as complete as Sue.

"Sue is 90 per cent complete and she's exquisitely preserved. It's very difficult for something to become a fossil … so to have it is really phenomenal," Skilliter said.

The condition of Sue's bones tells a lot about the animal. For example, scientists know that she had arthritis in her tail and she broke her leg at one point but it healed. They can even point out gum disease.

"Her bones got buried very, very quickly by mud. And so no other animals really had a chance to eat it or mess with it. So, it didn't get eaten and was preserved quite rapidly," Skilliter said.

This is what Sue the T-Rex looks like when fully assembled. (CBC)The exhibit arrived in Halifax Monday, and like any international touring act, Sue travels with her own roadies. William Rollins has put Sue together and taken her down a dozen times.

"The size is what always gets people," Rollins said. "Sue's the largest, most complete T-Rex ever found, and whenever you walk in, it's just — jaws are gonna drop. They'll be really excited."

It will take workers about four or five hours to put Sue together. She will stand right in the centre of the museum until May 8.

Sue is named for Sue Hendrickson, who discovered the dinosaur remains during a fossil-hunting trip in the summer of 1990.

The Field Museum in Chicago bought Sue for $8.4 million US and spent more than 30,000 hours preparing the skeleton. After the bones were prepared, the museum made an exact, fully articulated replica that travels the world.