We took the twins to Dinosaurs Alive in Adelaide this week. It’s just a 3.3km drive from our place to the Showgrounds, adding another interesting venue within easy reach.
Dinosaurs Alive is described as a $3.5 million educative and fun-filled exhibition featuring robotic dinosaurs. “It takes visitors along the 165-million-year journey of the Age of Dinosaurs,” according to the blurb.
On a visit during the school holidays I would rather describe it as an expensive way to pass an hour, but worthwhile in the scheme of things.
It cost us $55 for a family pass, with a family again defined as two adults and two children. If we’d taken the older kids, who were miffed at missing out, it would have cost an extra $31.
Kathleen (16) no longer qualifies as a child, despite the fact she can’t vote or buy alcohol.
The exhibition was okay for entertainment value, but more as an impressive display or robotics than education in the prehistoric.
The twins were engaged from the outset, but marvelling at eight dinosaurs only takes so long.
The finish line leads to an activities area, where toddlers and primary school-age kids jostled over puzzles and tracing.
James wasn’t interested in that at all.
We headed back for a second and third look at the dinosaurs before departing about 90 minutes after we arrived.
I didn’t object to the entry price, but would have done if I’d had to pay for two extra kids. I’m sure the older ones wouldn’t have taken much interest at all.
That said, I didn’t like leaving the exhibition area to find a shop with merchandise, ice-creams, etc. In particular, I wasn’t happy to pay $2 each for activity books.
They should have been included in the admission price.
I’m sure the exhibition would have much greater value as an educational tour with proper instruction and discounted entry fees.
Dinosaurs Alive ends in Adelaide on January 23. This video was posted on YouTube by the organisers:
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I am not a big fan of having my family pre-defined as two adults and two kids. Expecially now that there are 6 more in the family. Having said that, the Columbus Zoo’s family pass is something like $80 and includes everybody in the family for the whole year; it’s a pretty good deal.
If you ever make it to Kentucky be sure to take in The Creation Museum. You’ll be able to see how dinosaurs and man lived side-by-side… just 5 or 6 thousand years ago.