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‘Dinosaur Discovery’ Exhibit Returns to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo

Walk through a prehistoric forest to see life-size animatronic dinosaurs up close

Published on: May 06, 2025

young girl looking at T. rex in the forest at Woodland Park Zoo's "Dinosaur Discovery" exhibit
Photo:
Wow the kids with a Tyrannosaurus rex sighting. Photo: Meredith Charaba

“I hear them, Mom! I hear the dinosaurs!” my daughter exclaimed as we walked down the path toward Woodland Park Zoo’s Habitat Discovery Loop. We expected to see the dinosaurs as we approached the exhibit, but no one had warned us we would hear their roars first.

My 3-year-old was thrilled by the sound, picking up her pace to reach the entrance of the “Dinosaur Discovery” exhibit. Grandma and I followed closely behind, delighting in her enthusiasm.

young girl looking at dinosaur at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle
Prepare to be amazed by life-size dinosaurs. Photo: Meredith Charaba

What to expect at ‘Dinosaur Discovery’

The “Dinosaur Discovery” exhibit opened at Woodland Park Zoo on May 1 and runs through Sept. 1, 2025. Taking over the Woodland Park Zoo’s Habitat Discovery Loop, this temporary exhibit includes 26 life-size animatronic dinosaurs and carefully chosen foliage. We felt as if we had stepped right into Jurassic Park — thankfully without the fear of being eaten.

Two dinosaurs greeted us as we entered: a juvenile Triceratops and a Rugops. My daughter stopped short, staring up in awe at the Rugops as it roared.

young girl looking at rugops dinosaur at Woodland Park Zoo
Dinosaurs greet you at the entrance. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Signs in front of each dinosaur include the dinosaur’s name and pronunciation, its size, what time period and region it lived in, and at least one fun fact. Did you know, for example, that the Troodon was named for its razor-sharp teeth? Or that the Citipati had a tall crest on its head made of keratin?

Citipati dinosaur at the Woodland Park Zoo "Dinosaur Discovery" exhibit
The feathered Citipati with its unique crest. Photo: Meredith Charaba

We followed the path, stopping at each dinosaur to read more about it and delight in the incredible detail. They are truly brought to life here — from sharp teeth and long talons to realistic movements. Watch for blinking eyes and turning heads!

child reading educational sign at a dinosaur exhibit in seattle
Reach each dinosaur’s sign to learn more about it. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Our favorite dinosaurs

My daughter hopped from dinosaur to dinosaur, shouting “Mom, look at that one! Look at that one! Look at these ones!” along the way.

kid walking path of dinosaurs at Woodland Park Zoo
Follow the path to spot each dinosaur. Photo: Meredith Charaba

More than once, she returned to the Quetzalcoatlus standing guard over its nest of recently hatched “flaplings.” Much to our delight, the Quetzalcoatlus lowered its head, opening and closing its mouth, as we took a closer look at its family.

kid looking at giant dinosaur in Seattle at a new exhibit
The Quetzalcoatlus stands guard over its nest. Photo: Meredith Charaba

My daughter, who loves rainbows, was thrilled to see “A Dinosaur for Everyone.” Designed in a coloring contest by a local 8-year-old named Mabel, this custom Baryonyx in the exhibit features all the colors of the rainbow so that everyone can see their favorite color represented. It holds a rainbow-colored fish in its mouth, water dripping as it roars.

custom baryonx dinosaur with rainbow colors holding a fish at woodland park zoo
Designed by a local 8-year-old, “A Dinosaur for Everyone” includes every color. Photo: Meredith Charaba

The Utahraptor — named for the state where its fossils were found — was one of my favorites, with a feathered crown on its head, long claws and straight tail. It stood dramatically between the trees, growling as we passed.

Lifelike Utahraptor dinosaur with feathers and a long tail at Woodland Park Zoo's new exhibit
Feathers, claws and more details bring the dinosaurs to life. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Perhaps most delightful was the towering Brachiosaurus, its head peeking above the branches as we continued down the path. My daughter was suddenly knee-high to a dinosaur, staring up, up, up, to see its long neck and friendly face. (However friendly the dinosaurs looked, though, it was important to remember not to touch them.)

girl walking on a path with two Brachiosaurus dinosaurs towering over her at Woodland Park Zoo
Brachiosaurus towering over the path. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Interactive elements at the dinosaur exhibit

Halfway down the path, we found two fossil digging stations, both filled with sand and dinosaur bones. One station was under a tent, with dry sand that we could easily brush away to uncover the fossils. The other was out in the open, and after a morning of rain, held wet sand that packed around the bones. It made digging with the brushes more difficult — but perhaps more realistic — for us as we pretended to be paleontologists.

young girl at the fossil digging station with sand, fossils and brush at "Dinosaur Discovery"
Use a brush to uncover fossils. Photo: Meredith Charaba

The last dinosaur on the path is a Stegosaurus. While at first glance, it looks like an unfinished addition to the exhibit, it’s actually a chance to see the mechanics that bring these dinosaurs to life. The dinosaurs are constructed of steel, foam and silicone, and they move with the help of electrical wiring and air compression. (The dinosaurs are created by Billings Productions, with a focus on accuracy and incredible detail. The resin dinosaur teeth, for example, are made using silicone molds of actual dinosaur tooth fossils.)

Animatronic Stegosaurus with moving parts, showing the mechanics behind the lifelike dinosaurs at Woodland Park Zoo
Get a closer look at the mechanics behind the dinosaurs at the end of the exhibit. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Dino-themed treats

If you work up an appetite walking through the prehistoric forest, you’re in luck. Dinosaur-themed menu items await at the zoo’s Jurassic Bites snack shack. Choose from a Dino Dig Cup, with layers of chocolate pudding and cookie crumbs topped with gummies (and ready for digging); round cookies with giant dinosaur footprints; green dino-shaped Rice Krispies treats; and brightly colored popcorn balls. My daughter couldn’t resist a footprint cookie for a quick energy boost — we headed to the zoo’s 1899 Grove for sandwiches and soup later on.

kid picking a dinosaur cookie on a tray at Woodland Park Zoo's dinosaur exhibit with a themed menu
Themed treats include dinosaur footprint cookies, popcorn treats or pudding cups. Photo: Meredith Charaba

More fun at the zoo

We loved our morning with the dinosaurs, but after about 40 minutes of wandering along the path and meeting all the dinosaurs, we were ready to explore the rest of the zoo. (Since you have to also buy zoo admission tickets to access “Dinosaur Discovery,” you may as well make a day of it!)

Our first stop outside of the dinosaur exhibit: the flamingoes, dipping their beaks in the water and showing off their bright pink feathers. Up next was a charming red panda, high in the trees. My daughter delighted in seeing her favorite stuffed animal (from a prior zoo gift shop purchase) in real life, and we watched as it climbed across a branch. Then it was time for birds aplenty, from red-legged seriema to white-naped cranes.

kid looking at birds at Woodland Park Zoo
Get an up-close look at birds like the red-legged seriema. Photo: Meredith

After a couple of aviary stops, I was happy to spend a few minutes watching a small-clawed otter dip and dive in the water. Then we heard about the sloth bear and her cub, Bowie, so we hurried through the Banyan Wilds to see. While the two were curled up in their den, we spotted Bowie’s little paws as she rolled under her mom, Kushali.

sloth bear and cub at Woodland Park Zoo in a den
Look closely in the den and you’ll see the snout of Kushali, the sloth bear. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Still in the Banyan Wilds, we came up to a large glass window with a sleeping tiger pressed against it. It’s the closest we have ever been to a tiger! My daughter quietly stood at the window, watching as the tiger flexed its paws and flicked its ears.

young kid staring at tiger up close at Woodland Park Zoo in the Banyan Wilds
Getting a closer look at the tiger. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Then we trekked through the Reptile Realm, where we saw turtles, snakes and Komodo dragons up close. It was just as thrilling as seeing the dinosaurs — a Komodo dragon even scaled the rocky wall in front of us.

Komodo dragon climbing a rock wall in its habitat in the Reptile Realm at the zoo
The Komodo dragon showing off its climbing abilities. Photo: Meredith Charaba

Every time we visit the zoo, I think we could stay another few hours and still not do it all. We saved a few favorites for our next visit, including the historic carousel, indoor play space, and the family farm where you can pet animals.

Also new to the zoo this year is a virtual reality experience called “Zoomersion.” It’s an immersive film experience with different wildlife migrations — yet another way to learn more about incredible animals. We’re already planning our return visit!

If you go to ‘Dinosaur Discovery’ at Woodland Park Zoo …

Location: “Dinosaur Discovery” is on display at Woodland Park Zoo, located at 5500 Phinney Ave. N. in Seattle. Enter through the zoo’s west or south entrances.

Dates: The exhibit runs from May 1–Sept. 1, 2025, and is open daily from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The zoo’s seasonal hours (May 1–Sept. 2) are 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Cost: Tickets to “Dinosaur Discovery” must be purchased in addition to zoo admission and cost $10 for non-members, $8 for members, and are free for children 2 and younger. Proceeds from “Dinosaur Discovery” tickets go toward animal care and wildlife conservation efforts at the zoo.

General zoo admission ticket pricing varies depending on the day, starting at $26.96 for adults ages 13–64; $16.16 for children ages 3–12; and $25.16 for seniors ages 65 and older. Toddlers ages 2 and younger enter free. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the zoo.

Parking: Parking in the zoo lots costs $8 for the first two hours and $3 for each additional hour, with a $12 maximum daily rate (plus taxes and fees). There is free street parking around the zoo.

Editor’s note: This article was published on May 6, 2025, replacing an earlier version written by JiaYing Grygiel, who covered the exhibit when it came to Woodland Park Zoo in May 2021.

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