Jurassic Quest

By Aja Hannah

Although our corner of Ohio has a rich history of fossils--see Euclid Creek and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History--we're not usually a hotbed for dinosaur fossils. 

But life has found a way. 

With the help of modern technology and the brilliant minds at Jurassic Quest, more than 100 species of life-sized dinosaurs are thundering back to Cleveland.

The Dinosaurs

Ask any kid, and honestly most adults: dinosaurs are the coolest. There’s like thousands of them and their names all end in "-saurus" and they were massive and maybe had feathers(?!). While Jurassic Quest hasn’t brought thousands with them, they are setting up 80 species of dinosaurs with headlining favorites like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, and even more obscure and bizarre species like the island-hopping Ajkaceratrops and "Edward Scissorhands"-esque Therizinosaurus.

These animatronic, hulking, roaring beasts come to life in all sizes from the towering adults to their cute, big-eyed offspring (kids can interact with three baby dinosaurs at daily shows or at the dino petting zoo).

Fun and Games

When the little ones get tired of just seeing the dinosaurs and start trying to climb the exhibits, you can wear them out at the dinosaur-themed bounce houses, the dinosaur-themed bungee pull, animatronic dinosaur rides, and craft stations. Bring home a face full of paint or a green screen dino photo. And, for those rumbly tummies, there will be plenty of concessions available.

Science Stations

Okay, okay. So it’s not just fun and games. Jurassic Quest is also about education. There’s a lot to learn and it covers the whole Mesozoic Era from Triassic to Jurassic to Cretaceous. Take a guided tour with a dinosaur expert, see a real T. Rex skull, participate in a simulated fossil dig, and thoroughly learn the history of each species of dinosaur.