Dinosaurs are coming to Nashville! Nashville Zoo’s Jurassic adventure, DinoTrek, returns Friday, March 6, and will run through Sunday, July 26. DinoTrek is a prehistoric educational exhibit featuring nearly 50 dinosaurs. Guests will have the opportunity to step back in time and venture through a wooded forest alongside life-size animatronic dinosaurs up to 23 feet tall! Admission to DinoTrek is $5 per person in addition to general admission and can be purchased on the Zoo’s website.
“At Nashville Zoo, everything we do connects back to conservation,” said Nashville Zoo’s Director of Education, Roger Torbert. “DinoTrek allows us to start those conversations in a way that feels fun and accessible, helping guests understand that caring for animals (past and present) has real meaning for our world today.”
DinoTrek begins at a hidden entrance near the Zoo’s Historic Grassmere Home and Farm and winds along a path where guests discover life-like Jurassic beasts. The animatronic dinosaurs move, growl, hiss, roar, and even spit, creating an immersive experience for children of all ages. Educational signage throughout the exhibit will help dino enthusiasts learn facts about their familiar favorites and lesser-known dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are built on a steel frame by Texas-based Billings Productions Inc. and covered in intricately painted epoxy skin. New species to DinoTrek will include Stegosaurus and Allosaurus. Returning favorites include Brachiosaurus, Coelophysis, Dilophosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and more!
“As an educator, I’ve seen firsthand how a fascination with dinosaurs often sparks a deeper appreciation for animals living today,” Torbert continues. “DinoTrek allows us to turn that excitement into meaningful conversations about conservation, extinction, and the impact our choices have on wildlife and wild places.”
Returning this year, Nashville Zoo is excited to offer sensory-friendly DinoTrek mornings for visitors with sensory sensitivities. Enjoy DinoTrek without movement, sound, or water spraying from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 29, April 19, May 17, June 28, and July 19. These special experiences will provide a quiet, comfortable environment for those who may find the typical DinoTrek experience overstimulating. Nashville Zoo is proud to offer these events and continues to search for ways to make the Zoo accessible and inclusive for all. Learn more about our accessibility offerings on our website.
Billings Productions Inc. is a world leader in the design and development of animatronic exhibits for zoos, museums, botanical gardens and theme parks. Their company aims to promote awareness of prehistoric life and endangered wildlife for all ages, and Nashville Zoo is excited to partner with them once again for DinoTrek.
For more information about DinoTrek, please visit www.nashvillezoo.org/attractions.
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