Check out Dinosaur World
There’s something about dinosaurs that captures the human imagination. Perhaps that’s why, in a time when many theme parks beckon their guests with towering roller coasters and thrill rides, Dinosaur World reels them in with a pair of life-size Tyrannosaurus rex sculptures looming off the north shoulder of Interstate 4, near Plant City.
The T-rexes don’t move or roar, and neither do the 200 or so life-size dinosaur statues inside the park. But, for thousands of dinosaur fans who visit the park each year, they certainly do enthrall.
Myrta Figueroa, of Tampa, is one of the many passing motorists who just couldn’t pass up the chance to peek behind the walls of Dinosaur World. After three years of eyeing the imposing display from the highway, she decided to take her 4-year-old grandson, Ethan Ortiz, who is already a bit of a dinosaur expert, to see the park.
As soon as the pair stepped inside on a sunny spring afternoon, they found themselves surrounded by life-size replicas of prehistoric beasts. Without even glancing at the identification signs in front of each statue, Ethan began rattling off the dinosaur names to his grandmother.
“My favorite dinosaur is the T-rex,” the preschooler declared, uttering a preference that would be echoed over and over by young visitors interviewed at Dinosaur World on the same day. For Ethan, though, it wasn’t a totally unwavering decision.
“I like the T-rex,” he said, then whirled and pointed at one dinosaur replica after another, meat- and plant-eaters alike, “and that one, and that one, and that one, and that one.”
Just as enthusiastic were Isaiah, 11, Elijah, 3, and Noah, 2, who were visiting Dinosaur World with their parents, Aracely and Bobby Chavarria of Dallas, Texas. Aracely said the family was happy to take a break from the Walt Disney World trip that had brought them to Central Florida on vacation.
“We actually went to Disney World, and we didn’t like it that much,” she said, noting that the lines were so long at Florida’s best-known theme park that her sons were able to experience only two rides. When the family saw the giant roadside dinosaur statues between Orlando and Tampa, they decided to give Dinosaur World a try.
“They love dinosaurs,” Aracely said of her sons. “They’re having a blast.”
Dinosaur World is the brainchild of Christer Svensson and his family, who had been frequent winter visitors to the area from Sweden before developing the park. In 1997, the Svenssons bought the swampy site where Dinosaur World is located with plans to develop the dinosaur-themed attraction, according to published reports.
Prehistoric dinosaurs never traversed this spot – or any place in Florida, which was underwater when the giant reptiles roamed the earth. But, the lush acreage of ferns and palm trees once teemed with alligators, widely considered living relics of the dinosaur age. The alligators were part of a tourist attraction known as Gator Jungle that previously occupied the property.
Gator Jungle had been closed for years, but hundreds of alligators still roamed the property until shortly before Dinosaur World opened in late 1998, said Angelica Roque, the park’s assistant manager. Over the years, she said, adjacent land purchases have brought the size of the park to 20 acres, to make room for more and more dinosaur statues crafted from fiberglass, putty and concrete.
The park features a lengthy walking path lined with replicas of dinosaurs, many accompanied by signs detailing where the species’ fossils were discovered. The park also includes a large sand pit where children can dig for fossils and another sandy expanse dubbed the “Boneyard,” where they can dig to expose the skeleton of a dinosaur buried in the sand.
In the Exploration Cave, visitors can listen to tour guides describe the painstaking methods that paleontologists use to uncover and preserve the remnants of dinosaurs that are often millions of years old. In addition, there’s a walkway called “Mammoths, Giants of the Ice Age” that includes several statues and educational information about the prehistoric elephant-like beasts that once inhabited the forests of Florida.
There’s also a museum with exhibits of authentic relics discovered by paleontologists, including oviraptor eggs, a woolly mammoth’s teeth and a triceratops toe.
And, just for fun, there’s a dinosaur-themed playground and a mock mining sluice where guests can try their luck at panning for gemstones.
Families will also find dozens of sheltered picnic tables where they are welcome to bring food and drink from home, and enjoy eating together or just take a break from strolling through the exhibits. Dinosaur World does not offer food for sale, other than what’s available from a few vending machines.
Although toddlers, preschoolers and elementary school students make up a large segment of the Dinosaur World fan base, they’re not the only age group to find something to love about the park.
“We have a lot of little ones that come,” Roque said. “But, we also have a lot of adults. … It depends on their passion for the dinosaurs.”
About 110,000 people visited the Plant City attraction last year, she said, adding that tourists have come from Europe, Canada, South America and Australia, as well as from all over the U.S.
“A lot of them say they were commuting on I-4 and they saw the big dinosaurs,” Roque said. “They come back and check it out.”
The park’s spacious gift shop includes a tribute to the living dinosaur descendants that once inhabited the spot. In one corner, visitors can view a replica of Toyo, a former Gator Jungle resident that died at age 81.
If you go
Where: Dinosaur World, 5145 Harvey Tew Road, Plant City, FL 33565 (Exit 17, off Interstate 4)
When: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Cost: Adults, $16.95; children 3-12, $11.95; children 2 and younger, free. Tickets that include gem mining cost extra.
Information: (813) 717-9865 or DinosaurWorld.com.
By Susan Green
Published June 14, 2017