Dinosaurs Revealed: Journey Across America promises to be one of the hottest attractions for kids in Kansas City this summer. Even better? Kansas City is the first place in THE WORLD to check it out.
The anticipation for this exhibit is so high, it actually opened three days earlier than planned! But it will also be a great afternoon if you’re looking for something cool to do, and stay cool at the same time. Or even if you just want a once-in-a-lifetime selfie with a T-Rex!
Union Station provided the tickets so I could check out and review the new exhibit. This is what I thought of it, as someone who can appreciate dinosaurs, but doesn’t have kids or any kind of a paleontological background.
The Entrance
You are going to be amazed as soon as you walk into the Bank of America Gallery. (If you’re having trouble locating it, find an elevator and head to level C.) You’re immediately greeted with fossils in cases … as well as this skull!
I mean, look at that thing!! Even the lighting on it is amazing. Everyone who turns the corner and noticed it are immediately drawn across the room to it, right down to every sharp tooth in its mouth. And you haven’t seen the best part of the exhibit yet!
Follow the footprints down a ramp and you’re in a theater setting where you can watch a quick movie about dinosaurs in what we now think of as America … as well as what you’re about to see.
Hall Of Skulls
Continue into the Dinosaurs Revealed exhibit and you’ll find yourself in front of two massive skulls. They are beautiful.
The first is the skull of a T-Rex. I can’t get over that this thing is millions of years old. It still has it’s teeth! By the way, the longest ones were about the length of forearm! I mean this thing is GIGANTIC!
After you’re done gazing at the T-Rex, check out the skull of the Triceratops. It’s just as detailed. Just look at the skulls and you can almost imagine these things roaming where we now live.
But you won’t have to imagine much longer … just keep walking!
Across America
After making your way through the Hall of Skulls, you’ll slowly be introduced to the dinosaurs in their habitats millions of years ago. The next section shows you now the dinosaurs changed and evolved as the earth’s geography and environment changed. There are some really cool hands-on displays that help reinforce it.
Even if you aren’t interested in the educational aspect of this exhibit, you’ll still enjoy it. Because the skulls, skeletons and animatronic dinosaurs are really just that cool!
Animatronic Dinosaurs
This is where Dinosaurs Revealed really gets exciting.
There are dozens of animatronic dinosaurs to walk around and see. The detail and time that went into creating these creatures is amazing. As they roar, each one also moves from their heads, to their arms to their tails. The eyelids blink and the eyes even move! You’ll feel like prey as you walk through.
The other really cool thing is that all of the dinosaurs are to scale. The T-Rex towers 20 feet over your head … and you can see just how much larger a Supersaurus is than a Triceratops and a T-Rex. It’s an excellent example of how the dinosaurs evolved over time as their environments changed.
Fossils
Don’t overlook the dozens of fossils that are on display as part of the Dinosaurs Revealed exhibit. They are on loan from The University of Kansas Paleontological Institute and UMKC’s school for geosciences and paleontology. That means that scientists right in our own backyard made these discoveries! The kids in the exhibit also seemed thrilled about the dig site set up for them to explore.
The Cage Match
You’re in for one final thrill before leaving Dinosaurs Revealed.
It’s set up like a cage match between two dinosaurs. The display puts Utahraptor against Kosmoceratops. They are display casts of full skeletons that have been uncovered. You can compare stats like height and weight and length to see how the two dinosaurs stack up against each other.
I also like that the skeletons are displayed in front of images of what they actually looked like as they existed millions of years ago.
Photos and Video
Cameras are actually encouraged at the Dinosaurs Revealed exhibit. You won’t have anyone walking around telling you to stop snapping as you explore. Go head and snap a selfie with “Stan” the T-Rex … or get a family photo in front of your kids’ favorite animatronic dinosaur. If you always wanted a role in “Jurassic Park” now’s your chance!
And don’t miss your opportunity to snap a picture of yourself inside the mouth of a T-Rex at the end of the exhibit. You’ll find this spot right before you enter the gift shop.
As you leave, there is also a screen where you can leave your thoughts about the exhibit. Share what you liked best and what surprised you the most about it.
Accessibility
The accessibility of the Dinosaurs Revealed exhibit is well planned. It’s reachable by elevator and there is a ramp, instead of steps, for wheelchairs or strollers. There are hands-on displays for everyone to enjoy, but could also help those with low-vision. It is dark inside the display, so people with low-vision may need help getting through the exhibit. And it can get loud. Plus remember that the animatronic dinosaurs roar and move, so it may bother those with certain sensory issues.
Schedule and Pricing
General Admission is $18 per a person on weekends. You can save several dollars by checking out the exhibit during the week when tickets drop to $15. If you’re a Union Station Member, the price drops even lower. Keep in mind that you’ll need to buy a ticket for a specific time, unless you want to upgrade to a VIP ticket. That ticket is $20, but you aren’t required to attend during a specific time.
You’ll have plenty of time to check out “Dinosaurs Revealed.” It’s open 7 days a week and will be at Union Station through January 6th, 2019.