Memphis Zoo is opening an interactive dinosaur exhibit. Take a peek inside
What do Tyrannosaurus rex and chickens have in common? Starting March 2, Memphis Zoo guests will be able to wander through the land before time and discover which prehistoric creatures still have relatives alive today.
Guests will be taken back into the Mesozoic era, the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, where they will become "citizen scientists." The citizen scientists will help the resident scientist see if their theories on convergent evolution are correct, according to the press release.
The interactive exhibits of dinosaurs will take guests on a journey discovering if convergent evolution is to blame for some of our animal friends. Animatronic dinosaurs, equipped with noise machines scatter throughout the outdoor exhibit and guests can get an up-close look at 24 different dinosaurs.
On the fence surrounding the exhibit, posters display information on various dinosaurs and the modern-day relatives. Some examples include the Amargasaurus and its distant relatives: the giraffe and the okapi.
The towering dinosaur's are scattered throughout the field and have name placards that help the citizen scientists find out what they are. The lifelike dinosaurs will awe guests, but don't worry about getting caught running away Jurassic Park-style from the T. rexes; they are merely replicas.
This is not the first dinosaur exhibit to grace the Memphis Zoo grounds. Its first exhibit in 1992 saw almost 250,000 visitors, and it was brought back twice more — once in 2012 and most recently in 2020.
Rebecca Winchester, a spokesperson for the Memphis Zoo, said this time around the zoo wanted to focus on the exhibit being an immersive experience.
"The guests, when they are waiting to get inside, they will see videos from scientists in the field of dinos that are telling (guests) that our scientists have been working on trying to find the gap between dinosaurs and animals here at Memphis Zoo, and so it's your job to look around and try to make the connections," Winchester said.
But when guests leave the exhibit, it is revealed that one of the dinosaurs has escaped, and they are tasked with finding it. If a guest is able to find it, they will scan a QR code and be entered to win a prize.
The Memphis Zoo app also has a scavenger hunt for all guests focused on finding animal relatives of dinosaurs. You do not have to be in the Dino Park to be participate.
The Dino Park will open to the public March 2 and run through October. Hours for the exhibit will be daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is free for Zoo members. Non-zoo members will be charged $5.
Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Dinosaurs are back at the Memphis Zoo. A look into the new exhibit
