Dinosaur Island will be returning to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium starting Memorial Day through the end of October.
Guests are invited to travel back in time to discover the more than 30 robotic dinosaurs that will be placed throughout the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium's Australia & the Islands region. The expedition can be explored on foot and by boat.
To enter Dinosaur Island, patrons must purchase a special admission ticket that is not included with zoo admission. General admission costs $3 per ticket, and Columbus Zoo members pay $2 per ticket. Columbus Zoo gold members and those with a ZooMore ride wristband are granted free access to the adventure.
Dino Don Incorporated provided the ride's dinosaurs. The company is owned by "Dino" Don Lessem, one of the world's leading experts on dinosaurs who has written 40 books on natural history and worked as an adviser for Stephen Spielberg's Jurassic Park.
Lessem is also known for his excavation and reconstruction of the largest meat-eating and plant-eating dinosaurs in the world. He is the host and creator of NOVA documentaries, and he is known for his giant touring exhibitions. Because of his contribution to dinosaur research, the Argentine dinosaur Lessemsaurus was named in his honor.
Although the dinosaurs at the Columbus Zoo are made of steel, they appear life-like because of their silicon waterproof skin, eyes that shift and blink and tails and bodies that move. They even have an electronic "brain" that controls their sound and movement.
This year's ride will feature 31 dinosaurs of 22 different species. Some of the zoo's favorite returning dinosaurs include an adult-sized Brachiosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus rex.
In addition to Dinosaur Island, rides at the adventure cove portion of the Columbus Zoo will be opening again in May of this year. There will be free regular admission to the zoo for moms and grandmothers accompanied by children for the Mother's Day event on May 9.
For more information regarding rides, events and attractions, visit www.columbuszoo.org.
Nora McKeown is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
