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The Saint Louis Zoo has brought us something that has made my 7-year-old’s dreams come true – dinosaurs!! Don’t tell my kid this, but we had planned our trip to the St. Louis Zoo before we even realized it would happen right after the exhibit opened. Despite living only 90 minutes from St. Louis, my kids had never been. Now I’m not sure how we’ll ever top a trip that included dinosaurs!

St. Louis Zoo Dinosaur Exhibit Review

Emerson Dinoroarus, the dinosaur exhibit in question, is a temporary exhibit at the St. Louis Zoo. It’s was a truly an engaging attraction that’s fun for all ages – just ask my 37 year old husband! 😉

How Many Dinosaurs Are in the Exhibit?

There are 16 dinosaurs stationed throughout this outdoor walking exhibit. I probably should have taken more notes and fewer pictures. However, luckily my kids have photographic memories when it comes to dinosaurs! Of all the dinosaurs we saw, the Quetzalcoatlus was personally my favorite. And yes, I had to Google how to spell that correctly.

Is the St. Louis Dinosaur Exhibit Free?

While the zoo itself is free, the Emerson Dinoroarus does cost to get into it (unless you have a zoo membership). That said, it comes in at a very reasonable rate of $5.95 per person for ages two and up; free for kids under 2. It is one visit per ticket, but you can wander at your own pace. It was well spaced out over a 3.5 acre area and, again, worth the cost.

You can also pick up an Adventure Pass for $14.95 per person. This will include admission to the dino exhibit and other fun attractions like the zoo line railroad, the sea lion show, and the 4D theater!

Do You Need a Reservation?

At the time of writing this, we are still in a worldwide health crisis. Fortunately, the St. Louis Zoo cares deeply about the health and safety of its guests. The dinosaur exhibit does not require a reservation, but visiting the zoo does. You can book your visit up to a week in advance. We went on a Tuesday afternoon, and there was zero wait to purchase the exhibit tickets or enter the attraction.

Do the Dinosaurs Move?

They do! Some of the dinosaurs were stationary, but most moved (and watch out – a couple even SPIT!) Honestly, these surpassed many of those we’ve seen at Jurassic Quest!

And I can’t say for sure, but I do think there might be a live person controlling the dinos as people pass by. Call me crazy, but I swear the T-Rex and Triceratops both posed for pictures:

 

Every dino enthralled my kids. Every piece of the exhibit was fascinating, from those that roared to those that reached way up to the sky.

The Educational Component

So along those lines, I want to say as a mother, I truly appreciated the educational components that went into making this exhibit all the better. My 7-year-old is a dinosaur expert (seriously), so it was nice to have the opportunity to talk about something he’s always been oh-so passionate about. He loved sharing what he already knew about each of the dinosaurs! It also opened the door to deeper conversations, like what “extinction” means and what we can do to help our planet thrive today.

Live Animals

I also appreciated that the St. Louis Zoo incorporated live animals into the exhibit. My husband loves otters just as much (if not more) than my 7-year-old loves dinos, so he was OVER-THE-MOON to see North American river otters swimming about. Again, this was an excellent opportunity to have fun educational time with my kids. We discussed evolution and why the zoo included otters in an exhibit about dinosaurs. Later this summer, the zoo also expects to bring domesticated guinea fowl into the exhibit. These modern-day dinosaurs will freely roam the area, adding another fun element to an already incredible experience!

The Gift Shop

Oooh, the gift shop! If you’re like me and promised your little (dinosaur-obsessed) one a souvenir, you may want to make the Emerson Dinoroarus exhibit toward the end of your day. I did like that the gift shop was off to the side, so you’re not forced to take your kids through it if picking up a gift isn’t on your radar. As you might expect, the items are priced just as elsewhere in the zoo – a bit higher than you might find at Target, but for a good cause (and with great memories attached!) I picked up a couple of absolutely adorable t-shirts for my kids, and the variety there was fantastic. They even had dinosaur-themed jewelry!

I truly cannot recommend the St. Louis dinosaur exhibit enough! It was an absolute joy to walk through and added a cherry on top of an already perfect day at the St. Louis Zoo. Oh! And I do want to note that I was not compensated to write this review. I did it because it was that incredible experience and one that I encourage you to check out before it’s gone.

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