Last year, the Brookfield Zoo announced a rebranding, adding the word "Chicago" to the end of its name; it makes sense, as the zoo is best known for being here in Chicago...even though it's not. Nevertheless, the animal park is easy enough to get to from the city with options via car and train.
Earlier this month, my family and I (including one very excited four-year-old nephew) made our way to the zoo to explore the exhibits and namely take in the new Dinos! installation featuring animatronic dinosaurs, a special menu and merch and a selection of interactive programing for all ages. We hopped on the 8:33am westbound BNSF Metra train to get us to the Hollywood / Zoo stop in just about 30 minutes; a quick sunscreen break and short 10-minute walk later, we were at the South Gate of the zoo before they even opened the doors.
Walking in through this gate, one is immediately greeted by an Allosaurus poised behind the Zoo Welcome sign and stone Lions, and it's immediately clear we're in for a treat. The re-creations, created by educational and experiential design firm Dino Don, Inc, are incredibly detailed and quite impressive; at first glance, the four-year-old was quite taken with the statue and even tried to walk up to the dino's feet to see about climbing the thing (though to be fair, this particular pre-schooler will climb just about anything!).
All told, the zoo has installed 25 prehistoric sculptures throughout the grounds, from the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex and other familiar species like the Triceratops, Stegasaurus and my personal favorite, the tree-top-eating Brachiosaurus. Smaller installations depict a trio of Velociraptors or a mother tending to her hatchling eggs. And as if the life-like sculptures aren't enough, they're also animatronic, turning their heads and wagging their tails, with the best approximation we can make of the kind of noises they would have emitted.
The motions are so realistic, in fact, that it took all the courage my nephew could muster to get close to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, despite all his bubbling excitement. His parents walked up with him, slowly, and soon he was just underneath the beast and telling his uncle all kinds of stories about the great dinosaur, from his name (Frederick) to what he likes to do (play baseball?). And I have to admit, the adults with him were just as captivated by the T-Rex's movements and towering stance. It's not exactly Jurassic Park, but it's close!
Dinos! runs through October 25 and if your summer plans afford the time to head out to the suburbs to check it out, it's very much worth it. There's of course plenty to enjoy at the zoo as a whole, and with relaxed rules like allowing outside food and drink for your own picnic on the grounds, the exhibit just bolsters the overall experience. We spied that Chicago staple of a souvenir, the Moldarama, with a special dinosaur version to commemorate your trip (I can't prove it, but I'd like to think Jack White had something to do with that), and the Dinos! special menu includes Tricera-pops specialty popcorn plus a selection of desserts cleverly named things like "Dino Dig" and "Mangosaurus Smash."
Dinos! continues through October 25 and it's included in general zoo admission, which ranges from $20.95 to $32.95 for children, adults and seniors. More information on the exhibit, special events and visiting Brookfield Zoo Chicago is available here.
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