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Dinosaur World adds animatronic beasts
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Published: February 13, 2012
Updated: 02/13/2012 04:31 pm
PLANT CITY - Dinosaur World, the iconic Interstate 4 attraction marked by a lifelike T-Rex, is putting the finishing touches on an animatronic display of five prehistoric beasts.
The 22,000-square-foot Prehistoric Museum housing the animatronics is scheduled to open Feb. 29.
"It's one big scene, and it's very cool," said park spokeswoman Nicole Randall.
For now, the five new animatronic dinosaurs – stegosaurus, triceratops, brachiosaurus, pterodactyl and T-Rex – are being kept out of public view as work continues.
"They look real. They breathe, they blink and move their heads," Randall said. "It's just like if you were to see the real dinosaur. It's really eerie."
The Prehistoric Museum will also include lots of authentic fossils – everything from dinosaur eggs to raptor claws and teeth.
Other parts of the 12-acre expansion begun in November 2010 have already opened to the public, including two more dinosaur-themed playgrounds, a 5,000-square-foot gift shop and a larger fossil dig, where visitors sift sand for authentic fossils to take home. Improvements were also made to the parking lot and the park's arched entry.
The animatronic beasts join 150 life-size dinosaur models throughout the park, which opened 12 years ago on eight acres on I-4 at the Branch Forbes Road exit. Additional Dinosaur World parks later opened in Cave City, Ky., and Glen Rose, Texas.
"We had really big [attendance] increase last year, and we continue increasing every year," Randall said.
"It's good time for this kind of business."
gwilkens@tampatrib.com (813) 259-7124
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