{"id":38397,"date":"2023-04-05T13:32:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T20:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/?p=38397"},"modified":"2023-04-05T13:33:04","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T20:33:04","slug":"dinos-alive-immersive-dinosaur-exhibit-arrives-in-seattle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/dinos-alive-immersive-dinosaur-exhibit-arrives-in-seattle\/","title":{"rendered":"Dinos Alive! Immersive dinosaur exhibit arrives in Seattle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our lush green foliage must lure in plant-eating prehistoric animals because Seattle sure seems to attract its fair share of <\/span>dinosaur-themed attra<\/span>ctions<\/span>. A couple of summers ago we had Woodland Park Zoo\u2019s <\/span>Dinosaur Discovery<\/span><\/a> exhibit, and last summer we saw the return of the <\/span>Pacific Science Center\u2019s<\/span><\/a> dinosaurs. For families with dino-loving kids there\u2019s even more dinosaur action. In it’s last weeks in Seattle, <\/span>Dinos Alive<\/span><\/a> will close its doors on April 16!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This new indoor dinosaur exhibit in Seattle opened April 2022 and is scheduled to run through mid-spring 2023 and features 80 life-size dinosaurs and interactive activities for the whole family. My kids and I raced down to SODO to see how it would compare to our previous dinosaur experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Immersive<\/p>\n
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Lights, smoke, and life-size dinos greet visitors to start the exhibit’s experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Dinosaur immersion<\/h4>\n

The warehouse space is nondescript from the outside, but entering the exhibition from the street really feels like you\u2019re stepping back in time. Prehistoric-looking plants cover the walls and a digital waterfall cascades over the entrance to the main hall. Fog machines and dramatically colorful lights may not be historically accurate (did the dinosaurs host raves?), but they do add to the \u201cwow\u201d factor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Large<\/p>\n

What to expect<\/h4>\n

My kids, who always want to see what\u2019s next, were eager to move along the one-way path while I wanted to linger over the impressive layout a bit longer. You\u2019ll find informative signs at the base of each life-size dinosaur, but the most fun observations are the ones kids will make themselves. My six-year-old was able to guess each dino\u2019s diet from the shape of their teeth, while my three-year-old was blown away by the fact that the T-Rex\u2019s foot was taller than him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
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Visitors have the opportunity to be a part of the exhibit. Ride the dinosaurs or pretend to be a baby dino.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Life under water<\/h4>\n

Venture through unmarked white curtains about halfway through the path for my favorite room \u2014 the virtual aquarium. Projected prehistoric sea creatures float across the walls and floor as if you were really swimming along with them. There were no instructions for the balls lying on the floor, so we just kicked them around a bit. Later, I saw someone toss a ball at the wall and the fish actually swam away, so make sure you join in on the fun!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Interactive<\/p>\n
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Guiding younger children through the VR experience is helpful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Technology amplifies the Jurassic Age in the interactive space<\/h4>\n

Make sure you save some time for the all-ages interactive space at this immersive exhibit. Climb into a saddle atop a dinosaur\u2019s back for a short ride, play peekaboo from inside a dinosaur egg or use a QR code to watch your dinosaur drawing come to life on the big screen.<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n
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Draw a piece of art and see it on the big screens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

My little paleontologists loved the sensory bins where they could dig for fossils and compare them to photos on the wall, but their favorite activity was the dinosaur dash. Choose a speed (Amateur, Olympic Training or Gold Medalist) and a lane before racing a dinosaur down the track. Don\u2019t worry, you won\u2019t get eaten even if you lose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n
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Dig like a paleotologist at Dino’s Alive! Sensory bins were fan favorites.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A Virtual Reality experience (available as part of the VIP bundle or for $5 per person a la carte) allows you to play with the dinosaurs – velociraptor fetch, anyone? The headsets are a bit tricky to fit on young kids, so you\u2019ll likely need to provide heavy assistance if your little one wants to join in.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Children<\/p>\n
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Challenge a T-Rex to run faster than you! One of the games visitors can play at the museum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Is the experience worth it?<\/h4>\n

Dinos Alive is a production of FeverUp, the company that caught some flak last year for delays and customer service issues at the start of their <\/a>Van Gogh experience<\/span><\/a>
\nAt $20 per person, tickets are about four times the cost of last year\u2019s zoo dino experience, but you do get four times the number of dinosaurs, plus opportunities to interact within the space. They\u2019re also heavy on app usage, so you have to access your tickets in the Fever app and they recommend downloading a separate Dinos Alive App to scan QR codes throughout the exhibition (we didn\u2019t use the app and still had a good time).
\nVisit this dinosaur exhibit in Seattle, at least once, if you have a kid who really loves dinosaurs. Both of my kids recommended it to their friends at school (we spent 90 minutes there!), but I\u2019m not sure that very young toddlers would enjoy a visit as much without an enthusiastic older sibling to hype it up.<\/p>\n

Know before you go<\/h4>\n