A dinosaur theme park near Wichita, Kansas is bringing kids up-close to dozens of prehistoric creatures that once roamed the Earth.
“We have 45 animatronic dinosaurs – which is the most of any place in the U.S.” says Lon Smith.
Smith, the Park Manager for Field Station: Dinosaurs admits most of the kids know more about dinosaurs than the people that work there. “I think most kids love dinosaurs, and they learn about them at a young age, so they can school most of us on the specifics which is pretty cool.”
There are shows and various learning experiences where visitors explore the inner workings of a fossil dig or what a paleontologist actually does. There are no roller coasters, or Ferris wheels – the main attraction is the collection of life-like dinosaurs that move, and create sounds.
“All of the dinosaurs are built using the most recent research on what they probably looked and sounded like” says Smith. While the kids will enjoy gawking at the big creatures, and participating in the many activity stations – they’ll be learning, which is key to the mission of the park.
Make no mistake – the park is definitely geared toward younger children, from ages 3 to 11. Signage by each dinosaur provides some “fun facts” and information about each species – in everyday English without much of the scientific jargon most of us don’t understand.
The park is the second of its kind, with a smaller version in New Jersey. Field Station: Dinosaurs is located just outside of Wichita, in the town of Derby, Kansas. There is an adjacent mini-golf course which is part of the property, but requires an additional ticket.
They are open everyday except for Monday.
To learn more about Field Station: Dinosaurs and to buy advance tickets – visit their website: kansasdinos.com
