Dinosaur Exhibits Boom in Virginia

Dino-lovers in Virginia are in luck, as there is no shortage of opportunities to check out dinosaur sculptures, dig pits and fossils all over the state. Wondering where to travel so you can transport to prehistoric times and visit some dinosaurs? Check out our list below!

May 29, 2021-September 6, 2021-exhibit: “Jurassic Giants: of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods” at the Virginia Living Museum, 524 J Clyde Morris Blvd Newport News, VA 23601, MEMBER PREVIEW – May 29 9-11am, OPEN TO PUBLIC – May 29 at 11am. Experience the largest animatronic dinosaur the Virginia Living Museum has ever featured. Our conservation garden will be the home of Giganotosaurus. Experience a variety of other roaring, stomping, animatronic dinosaurs in indoor and outdoor galleries! Journey back millions of years to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and experience life-like dinosaurs around every turn.

Dinosaur Discovery Trail (524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA, 23601) is a permanent outdoor exhibit at the Virginia Living Museum. Dinosaur fans will be enthused to see a 16 ft. tall brachiosaurus, baby T. rex, a mini ankylosaurus and 13 other dinosaurs. For paleontologist wannabes, the trail also features a dig pit and fossils. On Saturdays at 1:00 PM, there is a 15 minute dinosaur parade on the Discovery Trail. The Virginia Living Museum is open daily from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Dino Discovery Trail. Photo credit: Lindsay Garrison

Dinosaur Kingdom II (5781 S. Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, VA, 24578) offers a quirky walking adventure through a dinosaur park. Dinosaur Kingdom II adds a twist to dinosaur adventure by combining Civil War history to prehistoric times. Visitors will have a chance to see a stegosaurus being milked or a pteranodon chewing up the Gettysburg Address. Dinosaur Kingdom II opens on Memorial Day; 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily.

Photo credit: Dinosaur Kingdom II/Facebook

Dinosaur Land (3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy., White Post, VA, 22663) is a popular roadside attraction with over 50 dinosaurs, King Kong, and other creatures. For over 50 years, patrons have enjoyed Dinosaur Land through self-guided tours. Visitors can walk through as many times as they wish. The eclectic gift shop is not to be missed as it is filled with souvenirs and trinkets that are sure to win over any dinosaur fanatic. Dinosaur Land is open daily 9:30AM – 5:30 PM.

Photo credit: DinorsaurLand/Facebook

Jerassic Park (1341 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach, VA, 23457) is a free exhibit in front of the Military Aviation Museum. While the park itself is small, the metal dinosaurs are massive. Jerassic Park has 16 prehistoric creatures including a saber tooth tiger and a wooly mammoth. The name, Jerassic Park derives from the name Jerry Yagen, the collector and grandfather who purchased and brought the metal sculptures to the park.

Jerassic Park. Photo credit: Lindsay Garrison

SAVE THE DATE –Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family – the world’s first exhibition showcasing the newly revised tyrannosaur family tree – comes to the Science Museum of Virginia June 19 – October 3, 2021. Visitors can come face-to-face with a life-sized T. rex, see a dramatic array of fossils and casts of tyrannosaur specimens, run for your life in a virtual experience, hatch a dinosaur egg and more in this immersive, multimedia exhibition that sheds new light on these ancient carnivores. Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad St. Richmond, Virginia 23220

Photo credit: Science Museum of Virginia

SAVE THE DATE – Dino Stroll (403 N 3rd St., Richmond, VA, 23219) allows guests to get up close and personal with nearly 75 creatures, including a velociraptor, t-rex and stegosaurus. Amateur paleontologists will explore fossils, dinosaur eggs and skeletons. This weekend event will be held Sept. 18 and 19 at the Richmond Convention Center. Tickets are available; discounts for veterans, military and children under 2.

Photo credit: Dino Stroll/Facebook

Dinosaur devotees in Virginia will be enamored with the various chances to explore dinosaurs in unique ways all over the Commonwealth.

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— By Lindsay Garrison

Richmond on the Cheap contributor Lindsay Garrison is a Richmond, Virginia based mom to two young children. A graduate from Chesterfield Schools and Randolph-Macon College, Lindsay is proud to call Richmond home. In the years prior to planning activities and outings with her own children, she was a French teacher. During her tenure she earned accolades for her creative teaching style and ability to connect with her students. Lindsay now applies the skills she learned when she was planning student trips to France, to her own family adventures. She can’t wait to take her own children to France one day! Follow the Garrison’s family adventures on Instagram: @thegarrisonsrva