Zoo offering free carousel rides this weekend as dinosaurs exhibit opens

It’s a big weekend for the Woodland Park Zoo. It’s opening its “Dinosaurs. Real Close” exhibit of animatronic dinos, plus it’s offering free carousel rides courtesy of Seattle City Light.
Seattle City Light recently installed solar panels to help power the carousel. On Saturday and Sunday, zoo-goers can ride the carousel as many times as they want. (Carousel rides are normally $2.)

Photo by Mat Hayward/Woodland Park Zoo.
The “Dinosaurs. Real Close” exhibit opens on Saturday and runs through Sept. 5. The animatronic dinos will move, roar, snarl, hiss and spit. The dinosaur exhibit costs $3 in addition to zoo admission (free for children 2 and under). It is located next to the West Entrance, near the penguins, where the Butterflies and Blooms exhibit used to be.

Syracosaurus and friends arrive at Woodland Park Zoo earlier this month. Photo by Tyler Steele, PhinneyWood intern.
You can purchase dinosaur exhibit entry at the zoo admission gate or at the dinosaurs exhibit; and you can re-enter the exhibit as many times as you want on the day of purchase. The zoo’s summer season officially starts on Sunday, May 1, with extended hours (open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily) and increased prices.