Dinosaurs Unearthed!

Last Updated on December 4, 2016 by Jody Halsted

It’s not often you see a T-Rex standing outside one of Kansas City’s most well known venues- and looking like he can easily stomp the school buses behind him.  Luckily he wasn’t on the loose but is there to promote Dinosaurs Unearthed!, the new exhibit at Union Station.

From the Dinos at Unions Staion site:

Dinosaurs Unearthed is the largest and most exciting dinosaur exhibit in the history of Kansas City with 24 full-size animatronic models, five fully-articulated skeletons (some more than 62 feet long), and nearly 40 fossil replicas which includes eight feathered fossils from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. This multi-sensory, dynamic and interactive dinosaur exhibition is both entertaining and educational showcasing recent new discoveries including evidence that many dinosaur species may have been covered in feathers!

My family will be heading down to Kansas City in about 2 weeks to check out the exhibit, so I’ll have a full review when we return.  A few fun things to note in addition to the exhibit:

• 5 of the animatronic dinos can be controlled by you!
• Dinosaurs Alive in 3-D on the Extreme Screen
• Dino Lab at Science City. View and interact with real paleontologists as they prep real dinosaurs for display.
• DinoDig
• Build-A-Dino® by Build-A-Bear Workshop®, a temporary store offering nine plush dinos and other prehistoric friends to make so you can take your dino experience home with you.

Exhibit Information

The opening weekend of Dinosaurs Unearthed! brought a record 2700 patrons into Union Station.  Because of the popularity of the event exhibit hours have been extended : Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

The exhibit will run through the summer.  There is no end date yet and Union Station hopes to keep the dinos there well into the fall!

Plan a dino birthday party, have a Dino Date Night or attend a Beer and Bones event (Date Night & Beer and Bones coming in June).

Ticket prices:

• Adults (13-59) $13.50
• Seniors, college students & military with valid ID $11.50
• Children 3-12  $9.50
• Children 2 & under  FREE
• Groups of 15 or more  $9.50 per person

Union Station Membership

Union Station just announced a new membership program that is incredibly flexible and affordable.  I am probably going to get it for my family as we are in Kansas City at least 6 times a year and it would pay for itself in about 2 visits.
Plus, new and renewing members who join by June 15, 2010 will receive two FREE movie tickets to Dinosaurs Alive! 3D showing on the area’s only 4-story tall 3-D Extreme Screen along with multiple discounts to current and future exhibits at the Station, KC Rail Experience, Science City, the Planetarium and the Extreme Screen.

The Friends & Family levels are:

• 5-8 individuals $125
• 3-4 individuals $85
• 2 individuals $60
• one individual $45.
• Seniors (60+), college students (w/valid ID) and military (w/valid ID) receive $5.00 off any annual membership level.

I like the simplified breakdown of membership.  Though there are only 4 members in my family we usually take at least one person along with us to Kansas City.  For $125 we could get benefits for up to 8 people- and they don’t have to be family.

Membership benefits include

• RAIL RIGHTS: Members go to the head of any attraction waiting lines and can purchase discounted tickets online.
• FREE unlimited visits to Science City, the recently enhanced Planetarium, the KC Rail Experience and the new Model Train Experience. (This is HUGE!)
• Unlimited number of discounted $5 tickets to the Extreme Screen movie theater.
• Discounts on Union Station traveling exhibits, birthday parties with Mad Science, most City Stage events and many Theatre District stage shows and productions.
• Discounts at Union Station retail stores and restaurants of 10 percent or more.
• Insider invitations to members-only previews and events.
• FREE or discounted admission to more than 290 museums in the U.S. and worldwide through ASTC, including the Kansas City Museum. See www.astc.org/passport for a complete list. Many attractions are located in the Midwest.
• And, of course, you are supporting Union Station, a Kansas City treasure.

Disclosure: Union Station is providing my family tickets to the Dinosaurs Unearthed! exhibit.