Sunday, January 20, 2008
Each dinosaur is
proportionally correct
and painted to look real.
PLANT CITY, Fla. — With jagged teeth bared and fiery eyes alight, a mighty T-rex peers from a tangle of tropical fauna, inspiring a shriek from a wide-eyed boy.
“Look at that one, Mommy!” he cries. “He’s humungous!”
No, this isn’t a scene from “Jurassic Park,” and nobody’s about to get eaten alive.
This is just a typical afternoon at Dinosaur World in Plant City, Fla., where more than 150 life-size, lifelike dinosaurs wow kids and adults alike.
Whether you want to see a Tyrannosaurus rex, a Triceratops or a Diplodocus, Dinosaur World delivers.
As you stroll Dinosaur Walk, every turn of the path will bring you face-to-face with a fascinating new creature. Some are taller than a house with fearsome mouths agape, while others are no bigger than kangaroos.
Long necks snake from among palm trees, fearsome sea monsters rise from murky lagoons and giant reptilian birds perch on rooftops.
Each dinosaur is painted to look real and is proportionally correct.
Go right ahead and pretend you’ve stepped back to the land before time. The kids certainly do, and there’s plenty at Dinosaur World for kids’ imaginations to run wild and plenty to learn, too.
At the park’s Fossil Dig, for example, kids can sift through the sand for authentic fossils to take home, and at the Boneyard, they can uncover a life-size dinosaur skeleton.
Dinosaur World also offers a museum, an educational movie, a large playground and a picnic area.
There’s also an abundance of natural beauty to savor at Dinosaur World.
Visitors can feed koi in two tranquil ponds, marvel at the wide variety of tropical fauna and savor the warm Florida sunshine as it filters through the swaying trees.
XDinosaur World is located at 5145 Harvey Tew Road, Plant City, Fla., 33565. Admission is $12.75 for adults, $10.75 for seniors and $9.75 for kids 3 to 12. The park is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. December and January, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the year. For more information, call (813) 717-9865 or visit www.dinoworld.net.