Open Now: The California Dinosaur Garden

October 10, 2023

Hello Friends,

The California Dinosaur Garden, the JMZ’s new, permanent exhibition, is officially open! The exhibit is already capturing imaginations and delighting visitors with its life-size dinosaur and animal sculptures, prehistoric plants, and interactive exhibits. Tina Keegan, JMZ Exhibits Director, shares more about the newly-opened exhibit below. 

Our popular Halloween at the JMZ! event, which benefits the Friends’ Annual Giving Fund, takes place on Friday, October 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets on Eventbrite for a fun evening for the entire family. Looking ahead, the Friends will host a tour of the JMZ’s Voyage Solar System Model on Sunday, November 5 from 10 a.m.- 11 a.m. To reserve a spot on the tour, please register on Eventbrite.

I hope to see you at the JMZ soon!

Lauren Angelo

President, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

The California Dinosaur Garden Welcomes Visitors 

Questions for Tina Keegan, JMZ Exhibits Director

It’s been a few days since the California Dinosaur Garden opened to the public! Which exhibit features have resonated most with visitors thus far? 

It has come as no surprise that the climbable Ankylosaur and the fossil dig are hits with our visitors! Children cannot resist using the Ankylosaur’s spikes to hoist themselves up for their family and friends to snap a fun photo of them. 

We are so excited that we were able to enhance the gravel pit with a cast of a plesiosaur fossil, a large aquatic reptile that lived over 66 million years ago. Depending on where a child digs, there is something new to be discovered every visit. This area also has a wheelchair transfer station and a wheelchair-accessible dig table for guests to enjoy.

There are some more subtle elements of the new exhibit that really resonate with our visitors as well. The Cretaceous-era landscaping full of ferns, palms, and other plants from the age of dinosaurs is a fun treat for our nature-loving guests. We have also found that the three animations introducing fossilization, evolution, and extinction are popular with visitors of all ages. Many curious learners intentionally play the English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL) versions of the videos before moving onto the next exhibit.

Photo of the Hadrosaur from Grand Opening with a bow tied around its neck. Photo courtesy of Lee Harper.

How did the JMZ install the large dinosaurs into the courtyard?

We have seven life-size dinosaurs and animals in the California Dinosaur Garden. Five of the dinosaurs are relatively small and were easily carried or carted into the courtyard or the exhibit hall. The remaining two are large and heavy, so they had to be craned into the courtyard. 

The largest dinosaur, a Hadrosaur, Augustynolophus morrisi, arrived in seven different parts. The fabricators, Blue Rhino Studio, assembled the pieces together in the parking lot before lifting the dinosaur onto its base under the dawn redwood tree. At 32 feet long and weighing 2,390 pounds, this dinosaur sculpture’s ascent into the air was a sight to behold.

The Ankylosaur, Aletopelta coombsi, arrived in one piece, and like the Hadrosaur, was craned into the courtyard. Unlike the Hadrosaur, which could be hooked directly to the crane, the Ankylosaur was lifted into the air inside of a welded cage. Fabricators then sawed off the metal bars, leaving the Ankylosaur ready for final installation. It took a lot of organization and expertise to successfully install these massive replicas. Families and media alike gathered to watch the exciting start to our installation.

Photo of the Hadrosaur being assembled in the parking lot outside of the JM. Photo courtesy of Tina Keegan.

Photo of the Hadrosaur attached to the crane in the parking lot before being lifted into the courtyard. Photo courtesy of Tina Keegan.

Photo of the Hadrosaur being craned into the California Dinosaur Garden. Photo courtesy of Tina Keegan.

How does the California Dinosaur Garden relate to the JMZ’s mission?

The JMZ’s mission is to engage a child’s curiosity in science and nature. We know that children are fascinated by dinosaurs, and through the creation of this exhibit, we hoped to connect this fascination to our modern world. Although it is a recreation of the planet more than 66 million years ago, the California Dinosaur Garden showcases ancient life that still exists today, like the dawn redwood tree and dwarf caimans, tortoises and birds, which meet guests during animal programs.

Visitors can take science concepts that they learn in the garden into other parts of the JMZ as well. For example, the extinction animation teaches guests that dinosaurs in fact still do thrive today! Birds are the descendants of dinosaurs. Visitors revisit our zoo with a new understanding that the birds that fly overhead and waddle by are related to the massive dinosaurs they see in the courtyard. 

The California Dinosaur Garden also gives us the chance to teach young visitors about advanced science concepts, like evolution, in a hands-on environment. Of course, central to our core as well, is making all of these topics and activities accessible. Our exhibits take into consideration the abilities of all of our visitors, which is why we incorporated tactile elements, audio labels, wheelchair-accessible features, and more in order to create a positive experience. We are so excited to continue to welcome guests into the California Dinosaur Garden for years to come!

Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

info@friendsjmz.org | www.friendsjmz.org

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