Jurassic Quest show brings rideable dinosaurs, interactive fossil digs to Houston
If you think many dinosaurs actually roared in prehistoric time, you might be surprised to learn how they really sounded.
More like crocodiles.
This is one of the many fascinating takeaways from “Jurassic Quest,” dubbed the “nation’s biggest dinosaur experience,” which ends its run at NRG Center on Sunday. It features real-life replicas of some of the world’s largest extinct creatures.
“Dinosaurs are a gateway science,” said Marty Hoffman, who plays Park Ranger Marty, one of the many character staffers guiding visitors through the show. “If you are really into dinosaurs, you are all of a sudden learning about biology, geology and even astronomy. You learn all of these different sciences just because you like dinosaurs.”
The heads and tails of the exhibit’s dinosaurs move eerily like in a “Jurassic Park” movie, but these are the friendly kind. Some of the dinosaurs can be ridden, and there are interactive activities, such as a fossil dig, in which kids dig through a sandbox for fossil remains. There’s a exhibit of real fossils, like Tyrannosaurus rex teeth and a Triceratops horn.
One exhibit teaches children how to train a Utahraptor, the carnivorous creature with frightful claws. There’s even fun in trying to say the dinosaurs’ names: Cammie the Camarasaurus, Tyson the T. rex and Trixie the Triceratops. The baby dinosaurs are always a fan favorite, and kids can pet and hug them.
“I always encourage parents with kids who like dinosaurs to get more books about dinosaurs because they are getting an education and having a lot of fun learning about these animals,” said Hoffman, who has worked with the show for six years.