(Editor’s Note: The 2022 Dinoroarus exhibit is now open and will run through Oct. 31. The story below is from the exhibit’s 2021 unveiling.)
It’s going to be a big weekend at the Saint Louis Zoo: Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures will come alive with the opening of Dinoroarus, a jaw-dropping exhibit spread out over 3.5 acres throughout the area that once housed the Children’s Zoo.
The exhibit opens Saturday, April 17, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 31. Among the highlights are a 12-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, life-sized triceratops, giant stork-like quetzalcoatlus, an 18-foot-tall brachiosaurus, a nest of duck-billed parasaurolophus babies and more. There are also learning opportunities, such as the chance to observe a staged fossil dig site and learn all about fossils.
“Children just love dinosaurs, and they love to impress their friends and family about how much they know about dinosaurs,” said Saint Louis Zoo director Michael Macek. “We made the very difficult decision to close the Children’s Zoo this past year, but we wanted to continue to engage children and their families in the interim.”
Macek adds there are plans to build a new children’s zoo experience, but fruition is a few years away. He tells Gazelle for the time being, not only does the Dinoroarus exhibit provide engagement and enjoyment to visitors of all ages, it also fulfills part of the zoo’s mission.
“The thing about dinosaurs, they’re very mission-related, as far as our mission goes,” Macek said. “When it comes to conversations about climate change, conservation, evolution and extinction, dinosaurs inform us quite a bit. There are so many different stories we can tell with modern-day animals that apply to the dinosaurs or really any other species like birds, which are descendants of dinosaurs, that still grace our lives. And anything that excites children about animals today is wonderful. It creates empathy for nature and for animals – and that’s how we can make the bridge to appreciation for modern-day animals.”
The exhibit will close for the season after Oct. 31, but it’s expected to make a return in spring 2022 for at least one or two more runs, according to Macek.
In all, there are 16 different groupings of animatronic and stationary dinosaurs amid the lush, tropical setting created especially by the zoo’s horticulturists. With every turn, visitors will encounter moving, roaring and even spitting creatures that represent a vast span of geological time.
With the zoo anticipating high demand for the exhibit, timed-entry tickets for Dinoroarus are required. At this time, the zoo is only allowing for approximately 50% of its normal capacity to maintain good social distancing. The Dinoroarus exhibit itself is being limited to hold about 600 people per hour. After entry, visitors can enjoy the exhibit for as long as they like. Masks are required for guests ages 9 and older in the exhibit area and throughout the zoo grounds.
General admission tickets for Dinoraurus are $5.95 per person (free for children age 2 and younger) and are available online. All zoo guests, including those who wish to experience Dinoroarus, must make a free, timed reservation online in advance to enter the zoo. Timed tickets may also be purchased at the entrance to the exhibit. Reservations can be secured up to seven days prior to the date of visit. Zoo reservations do not include tickets to Dinoroarus.
Opera Theatre’s Much-Needed Festival Season is a Sign of the Times
