Brookfield Zoo Dinosaurs Alive! Mall Tour

Animatronic Prehistoric Creatures at Westfield Shopping Centers

Mar 17, 2009

Meet Dinosaurs – Brookfield Zoo Dino Mall Tour, Renée Carver

Parents and kids can get a sneak preview of the upcoming Brookfield Zoo exhibit Dinosaurs Alive! by visiting life-sized animated dinosaurs at Westfield Shopping Centers.

From April 4, 2009 to October 2009, the Brookfield Zoo (located just outside of Chicago, IL) will host 18 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs. Parents and children wanting a sneak peek at this interactive, multisensory experience can visit Chicago-area and nearby Westfield Shopping Center malls to preview a few of the prehistoric robot creatures. To prepare for an actual visit to this educational Chicago attraction, read a detailed Brookfield Zoo Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit review.

Dino Mall Tour

To see robot dinosaurs up close, prepare children for the new exhibit, get a great photo opportunity, and enjoy a fun, free Chicago-area activity for kids, parents and children can visit various area Westfield Shopping Centers.

Through March 22, visit Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, IL.
From March 11 through March 26, visit Southlake Mall in Merrillville, IN.
From March 23 to April 8, visit Louis Joliet Mall in Joliet, IL.
From April 9 to May 3, visit Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, IL.

The life-size replica dinosaur displays on this Dinos on the Move dino mall tour are sponsored by Dominick's.

Life-Sized Animatronic Dinosaurs

Created by the Canadian company Dinosaurs Unearthed, these animatronic prehistoric creatures can perform a variety of movements and make sounds ranging from loud roars to chirps. A team of experts designed each robot dinosaur using the latest scientific and paleontological findings. The company aims not just to create an incredible spectacle, but to teach spectators scientific information about these amazing creatures.

Review of Dinos on the Move

A fence surrounds the animatronic creature on display at Fox Valley Mall, either to protect the lifelike replica dinosaur from being poked by curious fingers, or to protect spectators from the large prehistoric beast. The robot dinosaur stands still as children timidly approach...then it roars and moves its head from side to side, throwing its mouth open wide to display a rack of wicked spiny teeth.

Brookfield Zoo Exhibit Details – Dinosaurs Alive!

Highlights of the exciting and innovative upcoming exhibit will include:

the world's largest animatronic dinosaur, a 60-foot-tall replica of the Ruyang Yellow River dinosaur, which will be located in the Brookfield Zoo's Roosevelt Fountain!
a path along which sixteen replica dinosaurs dating from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous periods may be viewed, including a Stegosaurus, a Triceratops, a Pteranodon, and a huge Tyrannosaurus rex.
four remote-controlled dinosaurs that visitors can use interactive remote-control consoles to move.
an interactive Dino Dig site where young paleontologists can dig up replica dinosaur fossils.
a model of the Danshanpu Quarry in China.

Brookfield Zoo Visit – Admission Costs

Additional admission costs for Dinosaurs Alive! beyond the cost of general zoo admission will be $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 3–11 and seniors ages 65 and older. Brookfield Zoo members will receive a 50% discount on admission to this special interactive exhibit.

Families interested in visiting Dinosaurs Alive! can also purchase All-in-One Tickets or Admission +3 tickets that allow them to visit other special zoo attractions such as Dolphin Show, Butterflies!, Children's Zoo, Hamill Family Play Zoo, Motor Safari, and Carousel.

Visit Lifelike Robot Dinosaurs

Parents seeking a fun, free Chicago-area activity for kids this spring can check out the traveling lifelike animatronic dinosaur exhibitions on this Dino Mall Tour. Before investing time and money in a full Brookfield Zoo visit, parents can make sure that children are interested in and not afraid of these amazing lifelike robot prehistoric creatures.

To learn more about the prehistoric dinosaurs displayed, read the articles Jurassic Dinosaurs Alive and Early Cretaceous Dinosaurs Alive at Brookfield Zoo.

References

Chicago Zoological Society. Dinosaurs Alive! and Dinosaurs Alive! Mall Tour. Retrieved on 2009-03-17.
Dinosaurs Unearthed. Company Web site. Retrieved on 2009-03-17.

The copyright of the article Brookfield Zoo Dinosaurs Alive! Mall Tour in Illinois Travel is owned by Renee Carver. Permission to republish Brookfield Zoo Dinosaurs Alive! Mall Tour in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.