Horridus is unlike any triceratops found before.
The fossil, dating back 67 million years, is the world's most complete and finely preserved of its species, and will be going on display at the Melbourne Museum in an Australian first.
"I've found a lot of fossils in the field in Australia and elsewhere around the world, there have been none quite like this," Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Erich Fitzgerald, said.
Palaeontologist Craig Pfister was excavating a tyrannosaurus rex at a private US property in 2014 when he uncovered Horridus.
Dr Fitzgerald said it took "painstaking work" to bring the fossil to Melbourne.
"It took years, literally years, to uncover the bones from their rocky tomb and to get them to this stage," he said. "It's a hell of a lot of work."
The Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs exhibition will be a new permanent fixture at the museum.
"Whether you are two or 102, you are going to find this absolutely breathtaking," Dr Fitzgerald said.
Victoria's Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson described Horridus as the "Mona Lisa of fossils".
He said the exhibition would draw people to the city after years of lockdowns.
"The acquisition of Horridus the Triceratops marks a massive coup for the Melbourne Museum," Mr Pearson said.
"Having the world's most complete Triceratops here means researchers can begin to uncover even more secrets of these magnificent species."
Museums Victoria director Lynely Crosswell said people could learn from Horridus for years to come.
"We want our visitors to feel a deep and profound connection to the natural world, as it is now and how it might be," she said.
"Our hope is that sense of connection inspires action because while the fate of the dinosaurs is now captured in the fossil record, we still have the ability to shape and protect our future world."
The exhibition will open at the Melbourne Museum on Saturday.
