Take a journey to a land before time when Jurassic Quest stalks its way into the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach this weekend.
“America’s largest and most realistic Dinosaur event” invites guests to come face to face with over 80 true-to-life size interactive dinos.
“Most of the time you experience dinosaurs it’s in a book or a fossil in a museum,” Jurassic Quest public relations manager Dustin Baker told the Houston Chronicle. “Here you don’t have to use your imagination. It’s like they’re there. They turn, they roar. It’s awesome that you don’t have to try that hard to see what they were like.”
The exhibition has all sorts of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods that are meticulously recreated with the guidance of world-class paleontologists.
“We do want it to be accurate and the closest thing that kids and families can experience to what it was like,” Jurassic Quest show manager Angela LeBlanc told News-Press.
Jurassic Quest attractions are split into four distinct experiences:
Baby Dinosaurs
Trainers bring out several species of baby dinos for a petting zoo-style experience. During the 30-minute sessions, guests can take pictures with the little creatures that have been known to “grab baseball caps” and “nibble on shirts.” The Baby Dinosaurs schedule is as follows:
Friday
4-4:30 p.m. / 6-6:30 p.m. / 7-7:30 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
10-10:30 a.m. / 12-12:30 p.m. / 2-2:30 p.m. / 4-4:30 p.m. / 6-6:30 p.m. / 7-7:30 p.m.
Walking Dinosaurs
All the roaming adolescent dinos have different personalities, so guests will want to interact with each and every one of them. Visitors can pet them and take photos with them as they move about the exhibition grounds or in one of the large walking pens. But event-goers must be vigilant, these teenage dinosaurs have been known to pull pranks! The Walking Dinosaurs schedule is as follows:
Friday
3:30-4 p.m. / 5:30-6 p.m. / 6:30-7 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday
10:30-11 a.m. / 1-1:30 p.m. / 3:30-4 p.m. / 5:30-6 p.m. / 6:30-7 p.m.
Giant Dinosaurs
Jurassic Quests went all out creating several monstrosities, ranging from a 24-foot T. Rex to a 40-foot Apatosaurus. Sarah Menard, a Jurassic Quest dino trainer, said these massive animatronics “bring the factual side of dinosaurs along the fun, magical side” for an unforgettable experience.
Dinosaur Activities
In addition to the lifelike recreations, Jurassic Quests offers a variety of other dino-related activities for young event-goers. Those additional activities include:
Fossil Digs – Act as a paleontologist to unearth bones of prehistoric behemoths.
Science Stations – Test your dino knowledge while making a plaster fossil memento.
Dinosaur Rides – Jump on the back of several different species for a wild ride.
Dinosaur Crafts & Face Painting – Channel your creativity with some paint and paper to make a monster of your own… or turn into one!
Jurassic Quests will be at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach from Aug. 16-18. If you miss out, the exhibition returns to Florida twice more. You can catch it at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach from Aug. 30-Sept. 2 or the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds in Miami from Sept. 13-15.
The base admission ticket is $22, while the Kids VIP ticket is $36 and offers unlimited rides and activities. There may be a charge for parking, so call the venue in advance.
Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
