Dinosaurs return to the Virginia Living Museum
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Virginia Living Museum is bringing back some of the most popular dinosaurs, including T. rex. and Triceratops, for a summer of roaring, life-like prehistoric creatures.
The exhibit will take visitors back millions of years to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods when dinosaurs ruled the world. Tremble at a growling teen-aged T. rex., always a favorite with museum visitors. An Apatosaurus mother and her baby greet visitors with wide, sweeping neck motions. These peaceful plant eaters appear almost friendly as they observe their surroundings. Observe baby dinosaurs hatching from a nest. See three different types of baby dinosaurs up-close. Use a joystick to maneuver a robotic Stegosaurus. See the feathered Citipati, which highlights the link between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Outdoors you will need to dodge the water-spitting Dilophosaurus.
These lifelike creations are from Billings Productions, North America’s leading producer of animatronic dinosaurs. Each dinosaur is powered by a pneumatic system and fitted with its own electronic “brain” to activate and control fluid movements and prehistoric sounds. The robotic dinosaurs use air pistons and state-of-the art electronics under steel frames to fuel the creatures. The frames are covered with detailed foam rubber skin to simulate their lifelike appearance with bony horns, sharp claws and blade-like teeth.
Step back in time with Dinosaur Discoveries! Learn and appreciate the world’s prehistoric past and uncover its lessons for our planet’s future.
The exhibit will also include the display of a live Gila monster. One of only a handful of venomous lizards in the world, the Gila monster is the largest lizard native to the United States. It is found in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. It is considered threatened due to human encroachment.
Dinosaur Discoveries runs through Sept. 5. It is presented by EVB and sponsored by the Daily Press.
The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. On Thursdays from June 2 through Sept. 1, the museum will remain open until 8 p.m.
Cost: $20 adults, $15 children (ages 3-12); ages 2 and under and VLM members free.
The museum is located at 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, I-64, exit 258A.
For more information visit thevlm.org or call 757-595-1900.
