Friday, March 28, 2025
Get ready to embark on Jurassic Quest, one of the largest immersive dinosaur experiences in North America. The traveling prehistoric adventure, which combines archaeology with the latest tech, returns to Nassau Coliseum with its herd this weekend, Feb. 15-17.
Journey back 165 million years — to a time when mighty dinos ruled the Earth.
The arena transforms into the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods with life-like dinosaurs to observe and interact with during, that’s sure to spark the imagination.
“We bring dinosaurs to people in a way that’s fun, interactive and educational that you can’t find anywhere else,” says Jurassic Quest dinosaur expert Sarah Menard, better known as “Safari Sarah,” one of the expert “dino trainers.”
“You can go to a museum to see dinosaurs, but you’re only going to see fossils. You’re going to see educational things, but it’s not going to be as interactive or fun as maybe bouncing on a giant dinosaur inflatable would be,” she says.
There are plenty of opportunities to dig into the excitement. Hop on rideable dinosaurs, engage in hands-on science and art activities, enjoy thrilling dinosaur shows, observe real-life artifacts — and that’s only the start.
All of this — enhanced by carefully chosen vegetation, immersive sound effects, dynamic lighting, and interactive electronics — will make you feel like you’ve truly stepped into another time.
“One of my favorite things to see is whenever kids walk in their jaws drop, and then their parents walk in right after them and they do the same exact thing,” Safari Sarah adds.
Expect to see all your favorite dinos and meet new ones, including the formidable Triceratops, towering longnecks, fierce raptors, and of course, the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex — standing proud at 20 feet tall as the ultimate apex predator.
Every dinosaur is created in collaboration with top paleontologists to create accurate depictions. As more is learned about these prehistoric creatures, their features are updated to reflect the most authentic depiction of dinosaurs in their prime.
This year, you may see some different feather placement and colors added to the pack.
“We actually know that feathers were a lot more prominent than we originally thought. There are even some paleontologists that think that the T-Rex had feathers,” Safari Sarah explains.
While we may think of dinosaurs in their larger-than-life forms, they, of course started out young — and “small.” Meet the baby dinos, Cammie the Camarasaurus, Tyson the T-Rex, and Trixie the Triceratops, three lovable hatchlings ready to play with new friends!
“They all have their own personalities. They’re all kinds of tricksters and will steal your hat or your phone from you. They’re cute little buddies,” Safari Sarah says.
“The famous question we get is ‘Is this really real?”’
There’s much to explore at each activity station, including an opportunity to become a Utahraptor trainer for the largest raptor in the world. The team instruct families on different commands and tricks to use that they can try out for themselves.
Kids will also want to check out the fossil dig, where they can channel their inner paleontologist, and study replicated and real fossils like T-Rex teeth, a triceratops horn and life-size dino skull.
“They can learn not only how fossils are made, but they can make fossils themselves, and at the end of the day, they get to walk away with a dinosaur-shaped fossil,” Safari Sarah says.
On display, you’ll find real artifacts like Megalodon and dinosaur teeth, horseshoe crabs, and maybe even a dinosaur skull.
For those looking for some self-guided fun, there’s a scavenger hunt-style activity that the whole family can explore. Go on “The Quest,” a scavenger hunt-style activity where budding paleontologists can become Jr. Park Rangers, and learn all about the dinosaurs and time periods with the help of a fun and fact-filled video tour.
And the youngest adventurers have a spot all their own. Little dino-lovers can roam the ‘Triceratots’ soft play area, taking a well-deserved break from the excitement.
While dinosaurs connect us to the past, they also connect all ages to a sense of wonder.
“If a parent can step outside of their ‘common sense’ and get into ‘wow, this is a real science,’ it really opens it up for their children as well, ” Safari Sarah says.
From a child’s toy to life-like moving creatures, dinosaurs unearth new — but actually very old — possibilities.
“Studying dinosaurs is a gateway science,” Safari Sarah explains. “It opens it up to all these different sciences that talk about our Earth or the atmosphere or the stars. Things that have always been around since the beginning of time.”
