ShareThisThe Tyrannosaurus rex is scary, the dilophosaurus is annoying and the brachiosaurus, well, it's just huge. The prehistoric past meets the present in DinoQuest, a new dinosaur exhibit at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Fla.
This exhibit, starring 20 animated dinosaurs, runs through May 1. Here's what to expect.
What is it about? DinoQuest centers around the story that dinosaurs have returned to a futuristic city, terrorizing the citizens, who all flee. Visitors enter the city through a dark and smoke-filled portal like something out of a Hollywood movie set. The city is eerily calm except for the paleontological museum, where dinosaurs have busted through the front door, leaving shards of glass and enraging a large T. rex skeleton. Visitors escape through a second portal, stepping back in time when dinosaurs roamed.
What are the highlights? The brachiosaurus stretches 18 feet tall. The dilophosaurus sprays water on unsuspecting visitors. The zoo created the outdoor exhibit area from scratch using mostly unused space near the Garden of Love. The dinosaurs were leased from Billings Productions of Texas, which provides life-size dinosaurs to zoos, museums and theme parks.
What's particularly noteworthy? Signs by each dinosaur give the name, dimensions, characteristics and pronunciation. (Try saying "massospondylus" fast three times.) Each dinosaur is compared to a modern-day equivalent at the zoo. For example, the elaphrosaurus is like an emu, a bipedal runner, in Wallaroo Station. Visitors wanting more information can also text or scan a QR code with their iPhone.
Is DinoQuest scary? For the little ones, yes. The dinosaurs are big and loud and almost too lifelike for toddlers and preschoolers. Just because your child loves watching "Dino Dan" on TV, he might shriek when one of them roars in his face. On opening day, several kids ages 4 and younger covered their ears or eyes. A few even cried.
That said, if kids can get through the roaring T. rex skeleton near the entrance, they'll probably do fine through the rest of it. Parents of real timid tots might want to consider avoiding the "meat-eating loop" of carnivores. The zoo smartly opted to put the scariest dinos in one area obscured behind a wall.
Is it worth it? Yes. Even if you skip the meat-eaters, the $4-per-person charge plus regular zoo admission ($23.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors and $18.95 for children ages 3 to 11) seems reasonable. Beyond the dinosaur forest and Shop-O-Saurus Gift Shop, there's a huge inflatable Velocity Raptor Slide, a small fossil pit, a T. rex robot that kids can control and castings of dinosaur fossils.
Parents not sure about going can always mull it over while visiting the rest of the zoo. Tickets are available at the exhibit entrance.
What else? DinoQuest is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and during Dino Nites from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays through April 30. Dino Nites are $9.95 per person and include free zoo rides. Zoo members are free. Dino Discovery Club passes are $15 per person for unlimited day and Dino Nites admission. Parties and sleepovers are available.
For more information, visit http://www.lowryparkzoo.com/ or call 813-935-8552.
(E-mail sthurston(at)sptimes.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
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