KCKidsFun

Just about a month ago, we shared the big news about Dinosaurs Unearthed coming to Union Station this summer. Tickets actually went on sale last week. And, if you’ve driven by lately, you’ve probably seen an enormous dinosaur standing guard in front of the Station!

This morning, Kiran and I were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the work-in-progress on the exhibit. It won’t open until May 1st – but the Bank of America Gallery is abuzz with activity as the Station readies for the dinosaurs. There is still a lot of work to be done before opening day but I’ve gotta tell you – this exhibit looks REALLY cool.

I’ve got an 8-year-old son, a 7-year-old daughter and twin 3-year-old sons – and I think they will ALL really enjoy Dinosaurs Unearthed. The centerpiece of the exhibit are life-sized, animatronic dinosaur replicas. They are currently being painstakingly assembled but we were able to see a few in action – the movement and sound and attention to detail is unbelievable.

There will be four interactive dinos – controllable (to some degree) by exhibit attendees. Several fully articulated skeletons have been assembled. There are also several interactive, education games that will be scattered throughout the exhibit as well as Dino Dig, a kids’ paleontological dig site.

After our tour, I can say I’m really excited for the opening of Dinosaurs Unearthed. And Union Station has planned several dino-related activities to accompany the exhibit throughout the summer. Science City’s resident paleontologist “Dino Matt” will involved in exhibit programming as well as featured in Science City’s Dino Lab. Union Station’s Extreme Screen will feature “Dinosaurs Alive! 3D” throughout the summer.

Have a summer birthday at your house? Think about a Dinosaur Birthday Party – the Station has put together four birthday party packages centered around the exhibit and the dinosaur theme. Another fun announcement today was the Build-a-Dino area that will be located near the dinosaur exhibit and hosted by Build-a-Bear Workshop!

Tickets are $13.50 for adults (age 13 and up); $9.50 for kids (3 to 12) – lower rates for seniors, military, college students and groups. Another interesting way to save is a Union Station membership – save on tickets to Dinosaurs Unearthed and other Union Station exhibits and shows as well as unlimited visits to Science City and the Planetarium all year! Another perk of membership is free or discounted admission to over 290 museums across the U.S. (including the St. Louis Science Center, the Omaha Children’s Museum and a lot of great museums in Chicago).