At 10 o’clock this morning, Woodland Park Zoo staff began unloading life-size animatronic dinosaurs for their latest spring and summer experience, “Dinosaurs. Real Close,” to debut April 30.
All the way from McKinney, TX, the seven-species exhibit has a total of 10 dinosaurs that once roamed North America during the Mesozoic period.
Syracosaurus. All photos by Tyler Steele.
“I’m so happy because I’ve been waiting for these guys for almost a year!” said zoo Capital Project Manager Monica Lake, with her arm around a Syracosaurus.
“They move, make incredible noises,” she added, followed by her own version of a dinosaur snarl for effect. “And there’s a dino they can climb on and ride.”
Woodland Park Zoo’s Capital Project Manager Monica Lake shows off the rideable T-rex.
“Summer is a big time for us, and we like to give back,” Public Relations Coordinator Rebecca Whitham added while standing in front of the giant rideable Tyrannosaurus rex. “Kids love dinosaurs, and families will get a kick out of this!”
Other dinosaurs to be included in the exhibit are a 19-foot-tall Brachiosaurus, Dilophosaurus, baby T-rex, and even a nest of Edmontosaurus hatchlings, all coated with colorful polyurethane foam skins for better movement and realism.
Edmontosaurus hatchlings.
“There’s a lot that goes into the whole exhibit,” said Prehistoric Display Advisor Robby Gilbert of Billings Productions, the company that makes these robotic dinosaurs.
He said that the process starts with chicken wire and clay molds, followed by permanent fiberglass casings for easier replication and ends with welders who fuse the entire air-driven pneumatic structure together.
“We need the process to be as safe and problem-free as possible,” he explained about the reason behind air-driven pneumatic technology.
The zoo and Billings Productions have partnered in part to educate the public about the connections between dinosaur adaptability and preserving the environment for the future of the planet’s existing creatures.
“Dinos thrived for millions of years because they had amazing adaptations,” Whitham said. “They didn’t make it, but if we’re good to our earth then animals will have a better chance.”
To advertise for the exhibit, a baby T-rex will be trucking around hot spots in the Seattle area. See where he’s going next on Woodland Park Zoo’s Twitter feed, which will detail his journey around town this week.
This baby T-rex will travel around town in one of Woodland Park Zoo’s white trucks to promote the “Dinosaurs. Real Close” exhibit.
The exhibit will be $3 per day (in addition to regular zoo admission). It runs April 30 through Sept. 5.
Tyler Steele is PhinneyWood’s intern. He is a journalism student at the University of Washington.
21 responses so far ↓
1 Disappointed // Apr 4, 2011 at 5:09 pm
The once respected Zoo stoops to a new low. Right up there with Chuck E Cheese now…
2 BuffaloHawks // Apr 4, 2011 at 7:16 pm
I think it is a fantastic idea. My daughter just had her 4th Birthday party last month and requested a dinosaur theme. She thinks they are they greatest thing in the world and always asks people questions about them. We have a season pass for the zoo and can’t wait to take her to see this
3 Stupid Hippie // Apr 4, 2011 at 8:06 pm
Free the dinos! Now!
4 Kathryn // Apr 5, 2011 at 8:16 am
My boys absolutely adored dinos when they were small – so did my grandkids – this sounds like a great opportunity for the kids (and adults).
5 Deb S // Apr 5, 2011 at 8:44 am
But isn’t this what we have the Burke & Pacific Science Center for? They have dino exhibits there.
6 Steviepinhead // Apr 5, 2011 at 10:17 am
The zoo has always had dinosaurs — live ones in the form of avian dinosaurs, aka BIRDS!
So this is hardly unprecedented. Let’s just hope that in using the dinos to teach lessons about sustainable environmentalism and extinction, the zoo doesn’t forget to remind its younger patrons that an entire lineage of avian dinosaurs survived the K-T extinction.
7 Whopper // Apr 5, 2011 at 12:26 pm
” sustainable environmentalism”
Huh? What do asteroids have to do with sustainable environmentalism? I’d think the extinction of dinosaurs came in quite handy for us mammals.
8 Rob // Apr 5, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I am disappointed there is an additional fee to see the dinosaurs. While we have an annual pass to keep the costs affordable to go to the Zoo, it is very hard for most families to come up with the money to go to the Zoo and to ask for additional $3 to see the exhibit is just one more fee that keeps many families away from the Zoo.
Also I think it would have been more fun to see the dinosaurs throughout the Zoo so kids could “find” them as they explored all the Zoo has to offer in REAL animals.
9 Don B. Sea // Apr 5, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Who on earth in the corporate offices at Woodland Park Zoo came up with, agreed to, or said OK to run this horsepoo exhibit?
Fire him, or her, now. The zoo is for LIVE beings, not what they’ve pulled in with this disgusting plan.
10 Disappointed // Apr 5, 2011 at 8:48 pm
What’s next? Slot machines?
11 justin // Apr 5, 2011 at 9:52 pm
it is now Woodland Park Zoo, Inc. This new vision began 5 years or so ago when the new administration took over. Taking proper care of the captive animals living there and promoting/teaching conservation are no longer top priorities for WPZ unfortunately.
12 Rob // Apr 6, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Justin you are right. I figured that out when they closed the night animal exhibit and spent a fortune opening up some penguin exhibit that kids don’t even want to visit. Last kids I took there I had to “drag” them to the penguin exhibit. I used to not be able to get them out of the night exhibit. Wonder who pocketed all the money spent on that penguin exhibit?
13 Ruby // Apr 6, 2011 at 3:41 pm
The Zoo Society is getting into the events business in a big way. The animals provide a fabulous backdrop for parties and weddings and whatnot. Take a look at the events page on the zoo’s website. Venues for hire include the African Village, the Northern Trail, the Zoomazium (whatever the hell that is), the Jaguar Cove, the Humboldt Penguin exhibit, the North Meadow. Seems to me if the Zoo Society can’t make ends meet with attendance, grants, donations, and their Jungle Party fundraisers there’s a problem. Don’t *even* get me started on ZooTunes!
14 Fnarf // Apr 6, 2011 at 4:34 pm
More fake animals and extra-fee amusements to fill the space left behind by the closure of real animal exhibits.
15 Tahomajim // Apr 6, 2011 at 10:21 pm
Your choice, it’s only three bucks. You won’t know for yourself if it’s worth $3 till you see it.
For those bloggers who oppose the voter approved privatizing the zoo. Feel free to write to your city council members asking…. begging… for the zoo to return to the city payrol.
Voters of Seattle approved this change 5 years ago. Whining at the zoo is not the answer. Zoo officials are doing what Seattle voters asked for.
I knew this would happen….. can’t please everybody… like it or not, majority rules in democracy.
16 Justin // Apr 7, 2011 at 11:46 am
As I recall (being a zoo employee at the time this was going on), the zoo wanted to be more autonomous so was in favor of privatization. (By the way, they do still get city funds, just not as much.) Bottom line – WPZ’s first priority should be to the animals in their care by making the correct choices in which animals they choose to house and where and how they choose to house them. Humanely. And they don’t do this – it’s all about what is appealing to the public in general, i.e. people with short attention spans who want to be “entertained” vs. educated. And this frequently results in animals being put in less stimulating and even hazardous exhibits. So perhaps it would be a great idea to replace all the living animals at the zoo with robotic ones. Many visitors wouldn’t even notice the difference.
17 Coffee:Black // Apr 9, 2011 at 1:09 am
To all those who are spreading the hate over a dinosaur exhibit, I say this. Don’t F$%K with Dinosaurs, they are and always have been the most awesome thing to every walk the earth.
That being said, from an educational standpoint, Dinosaurs and paleontology in general is very relevant to the study of environmental changes, extinction events, and where modern day flora and fauna come from. As far as the money is concerned, it’s not that much and kids love them (so do many adults, for that matter). Also, dinosaurs are worth it.
Now maybe I have a rather bias view on this because I grew up in a home with parents who were both teachers, my father was an Earth Science teacher and when he saw that I was interested in dinosaurs he took me accross the country to museums, dinosaur trackways and bone beds. I still have two footprint casts from a track way in Connecticut from a theropod species measuring a foot across.
In my opinion, you should find something educational your kids are interested in and encourage them. Dinosaurs fill that void very easily for many children because they are just plain awesome. So is it really that much of a problem to spend an extra $3, they will remember it for a long time and it’s not as if your money is going to a greedy corporation with no soul, the zoo is non-profit. Just look at the absurd amounts families dish out for Disneyland/World and those places have no educational value other than teaching their customers the value of a dollar (over and over again).
So I say, go to the zoo spend $3 extra bucks and stop off at the gift shop on the way out so your kid can have an awesome Dinosaur toy to help them remember it. It won’t hurt anything.
18 dinozoo // Apr 11, 2011 at 1:07 pm
You should go see the exhibit and 1. learn the history of these once Earth encompassing creatures. 2. see the significance and connection of these creatures to the living collection at the zoo. 3. teach your future human leaders (kids) the importance of education, extinction, & conservation as it relates to all animals, past & present. This exhibit will do that so enjoy it.
19 Tahomajim // Apr 19, 2011 at 9:02 pm
@ #12 Rob,
Regarding the “fortune you wrote the zoo spent on the penguin exhibit” ….. I believe the total cost of the exhibit was paid for by a zoo donor. That’s the reason zoo haters could not stop the project as no taxpayer money was involved.
Also, my granddaughter Avery loves the exhibit, she feels safe in the exhibit, loves the interaction with the penguins, she almost does not want to leave it.
Everybody is different…… thank goodness.
20 iheartgreenwood // Apr 25, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Ruby, the Zoomazium is a play area for kids under 8. They love it. It’s one of the best places to take kids on a rainy day in Seattle (which is almost every day lately). What a bunch of haters. You’d think you’d be grateful to have one of the best zoos in the country in your city, but no, typical Seattle: complain, complain, complain. Events, extra-fee exhibits and things like Zoo Tunes bring in the money that supports the live animals. Have any of you ever worked at a nonprofit? Supporting a mission is expensive, and money doesn’t grow on trees (or on catty, small-minded blog comments). I support the zoo in whatever creative ways they come up with to fund their mission. My kid loves the Zoomazium. I totally get my money’s worth out of my membership. And I can’t wait to take my family to see the dinosaurs. I caught a preview at the Bunny Bounce of T-Rex, and he was downright sensational.
21 iheartgreenwood // Apr 25, 2011 at 4:20 pm
P.S. We like the penguins, too.
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