Dinosaur Stampede!

Kay Rodgers Park transforms into prehistoric jungle

Some kids want to see baby dinosaurs. Some kids want to see dinosaurs as that are big as a school bus. And some kids want to ride a T-Rex. During Dinosaur Adventure Fort Smith, organizers say that kids of all ages will find something to make them say, “Wow!”

“We have some [visitors] that are in in their teens,” explains Steve Rajtar with Dinosaur Adventures, who are really into dinosaurs.

Like some of their younger guests, the teens also come dressed in their favorite dinosaur T-shirts or dressed in khaki vests and cargo pants, ready to dig for fossils.

Others kids are ready to race in Jurassic Jeeps or ride their favorite dinosaurs or bounce around in prehistoric-themed obstacle courses before starting all over again.

“We have live entertainers who go around with the baby dinosaur puppets,” Rajtar adds. “We also have face painting, a mining area, green screen photo opportunities,” so that visitors can take home memories of their own Jurassic period.

Aside from all the attractions, Rajtar says that kids are most excited to have an opportunity to see and touch giant, realistic dinosaurs in a prehistoric park.

“They’re all animatronic — they move and they roar,” he says. Meanwhile, guests receive facts about each specimen such as what they ate when they were alive and how to pronounce their name correctly.

“We want to educate [people] about what it was like to go back in to the prehistoric times and see these dinosaurs in the realistic life size,” he adds.

Some of the dinosaurs can get up to 40 feet long depending on a venue’s space.

“We usually have 30-plus animatronic dinosaurs that come to life at each at each location,” he says, adding that Dinosaur Adventures is a traveling exhibit that moves from city to city.

Tickets to the Jurassic-themed event are $25 for guests ages 2 and older. Time slots are available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at Kay Rodgers Park, 4400 Midland Blvd. in Fort Smith. Guests can expect the average adventure to last between two and three hours. Add-ons available. Tickets and information at dinosauradventure.com.

While intended for kids ages 2-6, organizers say that teens also get a kick out of meeting the life-sized animatronic reptiles and fossil searches. Little ones can go for rides in Jurassic Jeeps or dino scooters, themed obstacle courses or ride their favorite dinosaur during Dinosaur Adventure Oct. 28-29 in Fort Smith. (Courtesy Photo)