Jurassic Giants

Jurassic Giants of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods at The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News is what every dinosaur enthusiast dreams of!

Immediately upon entering the museum, patrons can hear the roaring and stomping animatronic dinos from the changing exhibit gallery; this sets the tone for the exciting day.

Photo credit: Virginia Living Museum / Facebook

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

⭐️ Related post: Dinosaur Exhibits Boom in Virginia

The seven prehistoric creatures in the Jurassic Giants exhibit look incredibly life-like, as they can move and turn. In the gallery, there are also baby dinosaurs, a dinosaur nest and eggs and even some dinosaurs that are mid-hatch! Although my 3 year old son is a dinosaur expert, I appreciated the signs labeling the dinosaurs, interesting facts and phonetically breaking down their names. Deinonychus, is it “dine-o-nik-us” or “din-o-nik-us”?!?! Thanks for clearing that up for me, VLM! In the same gallery, a robotic dinosaur can move via buttons and switches controlled by patrons. A final highlight in the gallery is the dinosaur yoga video; participants can join in at any time to stretch with Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

The exterior of the museum is also filled with dinosaurs! The conservation garden has a spitting Suchomimus, which helped the kids and I cool off before and after exploring the grounds and a massive, 20 foot tall Giganotosaurus.

Eloise and Gus Garrison dig for dinos at the Virginia Living Museum. Photo credit: Lindsay Garrison

While visiting The Virginia Living Museum, dinosaur fanatics cannot miss the Dino Discovery Trail, a permanent exhibit with 16 dinosaurs and activities for children. Highlights for us were the baby T. Rex and mini ankylosaurus. The hands-on experience in the Dino Discovery Trail is unmatched. The four dig pits, paleo field camp for future paleontologists to set up camp and several display huts with various fossils kept both my 7 and 3 year old actively engaged for nearly an hour.

As you plan your visit to The Virginia Living Museum, dinosaur enthusiasts should check the Dino on the Loose calendar to see the walking T.Rex dinosaur parade. Another consideration is purchasing Planetarium tickets for “Make a Glowing Dinosaur.”

While my son lived his best day, I could not be more thankful for a museum that recognizes the importance of interactive learning. While my children had fun just as I’d hoped; they also learned more than I expected.

Museum Information:
Virginia Living Museum, 524 J Clyde Morris Blvd, Newport News, Virginia
Tickets: $19.95/adult; $13.95/ages 12 – 3; FREE/ages 2 and under
Tickets are purchased online in advance for a specified time slot
Open Daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Jurassic Giants will be at the museum through September 6, 2021.

— By Lindsay Garrison

Richmond on the Cheap contributor Lindsay Garrison is a Richmond, Virginia based mom to two young children. A graduate from Chesterfield Schools and Randolph-Macon College, Lindsay is proud to call Richmond home. In the years prior to planning activities and outings with her own children, she was a French teacher. During her tenure she earned accolades for her creative teaching style and ability to connect with her students. Lindsay now applies the skills she learned when she was planning student trips to France, to her own family adventures. She can’t wait to take her own children to France one day! Follow the Garrison’s family adventures on Instagram: @thegarrisonsrva