Parents in Arizona are always looking for new ways to entertain their kids over Fall Break. Now that we’re mid-way through Fall Break we’re DYING to get out of our house – am I right?
During last weekend’s members-only preview of Dinosaur’s in the Desert at the Phoenix Zoo, my friend and our sons trotted around the desert area in the zoo gazing up at some of the best animatronic dinosaurs we’ve ever seen. As we walked up to the entrance of the exhibit the sound of Jurassic Park music fills the air. The feeling of nostalgia is sure to explode the hearts of every parent or adult taking their little ones up the safari path. Before entering the exhibit you’ll be stopped at the site of a Pachyrhinosaurus (lifesized) that kids can climb on and pose for photos in front of. Be sure to grab a few different photos!
The cost for members to enter the exhibit is $4 per person, a reasonable price considering the price to hang out with the stingrays! Non-members can purchase combo-tickets for just $4 extra to their tickets. Photo ops are abundant and the delightful sound of Jurassic Park will follow throughout. Phoenix residents may recall earlier this year the zoo holding a contest for young artists via coloring a stegosaurus. The first exhibit you run into is the contest winner’s drawings as life-like sized steagsarouses. I won’t spoil the surprise too much, but the winners’ designs won’t disappoint!
Moving on through the exhibits it gets a little hot as you’re surrounded by, you guessed it, the desert. Regardless of the temperature, there’s plenty of shade along the way to keep you as cool as possible. Midway through your walk through time, you will stumble upon a fossil digging activity, a great place to stop and rest in the shade as your kids become amateur scientists Some of the exhibits to highlight are the Pterodactyls and the Tyrannosaurus Rex’s towards the end. These mega-sized creatures were a marvel 65 million years ago and they still are today.
Stop hiding inside during this last half of your fall break and head over to the dinosaur exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo. It won’t disappoint and may just be the highlight of your kid’s Fall Break! The Phoenix Zoo is open Monday through Sunday 9 am – 5 pm, opening an hour earlier for members at 8 am.