Roar! Our Visit to Dinosaur Expedition at Como Town in St. Paul

I previously shared that DINOSAUR EXPEDITION is at Como Town May 24th through September 29th. Well we went to visit and here is our experience!

About Dinosaur Expedition

Dinosaur Expedition is a colossal event where kids of all ages can explore and discover their favorite prehistoric giants. The dinosaurs on display are “true-to-life” in both size and appearance, featuring the largest touring dinosaurs in the country.

This limited-time, must-see event showcases dinosaurs ranging from babies to massive creatures, with some standing over 28 feet tall and spanning over 60 feet long.

Dinosaur Expedition is located in Como Town, right at the edge near where the Gorillas are. It’s not free – the cost is $14 each. Como Town and Como Zoo are free to enter – donations are requested but not required. Rides at Como Town are not free, so like the rides, seeing the dinosaurs is a ticketed attraction at Como Town.

Our Visit

We visited on a Saturday, which was not ideal as it was a beautiful, sunny day, and super busy. But there was no line for Dinosaur Expedition, so we were able to get right in with our passes. Tickets are reserved by time so if you go at your reserved time, you should be able to get right in without crowds.

Dinosaur Expedition is not huge. There are many, many animatronic dinosaurs in a small, fenced area. They all move, roar and make noise, and have information to read about them.

Of course there’s a T-Rex, which is one of the first dinosaurs you see.

These dinosaurs are very detailed, with eyes that open and close, too.

There was a staff member with a baby dinosaur walking around and interacting with visitors.

In the middle there’s a sand box with”dinosaur bones” for kids to dig out.

At the end there’s a gift shop with cute dinosaur plushies, toys and gifts.

Overall it’s a cute attraction with a large variety of dinosaurs and some activities for kids.

Is it scary?

The dinosaurs are not really scary. They move slowly and roar. There’s a big eye in an “egg” in a tree, and it moves and blinks, which I think some kids will like.

Is it worth going to?

Yes and no. If you have a child who loves dinosaurs, they’ll like this. But it’s not big and doesn’t take long to get through. I recommend it for families with young kids who absolutely love dinosaurs. It’s also educational so they can read the info with each dinosaur, or you can read it to them and learn together.

I think $14 each is a bit pricey for this attraction. You do see a lot of dinosaurs, and I think they included all the ones you would expect. There were even a few I had never heard of, so it was interesting. Plus, the larger dinosaurs are pretty cool to see.

My suggestion is to have one parent or adult go through the attraction with the kids if possible, rather than multiple adults, to save money.

If the $14 is too much for your family, note that there are some dinosaurs spread out around Como Town that you can see for free, like these (above). Or check those out with your kids to see if they want to see more before committing to tickets. It’s way better to see the whole exhibit of course but they give a glimpse.

When?

From Friday, May 24th through Sunday, September 2nd, you can see them daily 10:30am – 5:00pm; then September 7th – 29th, you can see them Saturday and Sundays only, 10:30am-5:00pm. Children 2 years and under are free.

Tickets required. You can book a reservation online.

More info here!

Como Town has a lot of fun rides for kids. My kids grew up visiting there many times as it’s so fun! Even adults can go on some of the rides like the train and the Tilt- a – Whirl.

While you’re there, visit Como Zoo (which is free) and on the last Tuesday of the month, you can ride the carousel for free too!

Yes, the famous Cafesjian’s Carousel at Como Zoo is open all summer long from May 1st through Labor Day, and offers free rides from 11:00am – 4:00pm on select dates in the summer.