Dinosaurs take over Discovery Park of America with ‘Jurassic Journeys’ exhibit
UNION CITY, Tenn. — The animals that roamed the earth in its earliest days are coming back to life this fall in Union City.
“I’d say that the biggest thing about it is that these dinosaurs actually represent really big landmarks in our understanding of these animals, so there is all kinds of information inside there and really a lot of it is a timeline about what we have learned about these animals,” Discovery Park Education Specialist Russell Orr said.
Jurassic Journeys is the third traveling exhibit to set up at Discovery Park of America, with a new focus on these old creatures.
“This is the first exhibit that we have had that is really geared more toward young children, but adults are going to be equally fascinated by it,” Director of Marketing Mary Nita Bondurant said.
Kids of all ages will be able to get up close and personal with these dinosaurs and get hands on by digging up dino bones, sketching and more.
While we give you a little sneak peak of the exhibit now, kids and parents can also see what happens behind the scenes with these animatronics when they come see the exhibit. You can control the movements of the body, the head, the arms, and see how this exhibit comes to life.
“There is something about seeing a dinosaur roaring and moving, and learning about that makes everybody happy and giggle and smile,” Orr said.
The exhibit officially opens Oct. 8 and runs through Dec. 31.
All tickets are an additional cost to the required park admission.
Jurassic Journeys ticket prices:
Adults: $7
Members: $6
Students: $5
Opening Day of Jurassic Journeys Schedule of Events
Saturday, Oct. 8
10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.: Bring your own fossils and rock samples to Dinosaur Hall for identification by UT Martin professor Dr. Michael Gibson and other experts
10:30 a.m. – noon & 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Join paleontologist Aaron Scott at Kimberly the Mosasaur display in Dinosaur Hall to hear firsthand how the fossil was found
10:30 a.m. – noon & 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.: Paleontologist Walter Markin will be on hand at the Hadrosaur display in Dinosaur Hall to give a firsthand account of a rare dinosaur find here in Tennessee
11 a.m. – noon in the Reelfoot Room – “The Geologic History of the Mississippi River Valley” by Dr. Roy Van Arsdale from the University of Memphis
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. in the Reelfoot Room – “Dinosaurs of Tennessee” by Dr. Michael Gibson from the University of Tennessee at Martin
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. in the Reelfoot Room – “The last billion years: A geologic history of Tennessee” by Dr. Don Byerly, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tennessee Knoxville
