COLUMBIA, S.C. — Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will take visitors on a prehistoric journey when Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors opens Sept. 17 and runs through Jan. 4.
The outdoor exhibition will transport guests millions of years into the past, offering a glimpse of a vastly different Earth through towering animatronic dinosaurs, immersive soundscapes and storytelling.
Visitors can ride the Saluda Skyride above the river and treetops on their way to the Botanical Garden, where the dinosaur adventure awaits.
The exhibition explores the supercontinent of Pangea and how plate tectonics, land bridges and volcanic activity helped dinosaurs spread across the globe. Guests will learn how dinosaurs adapted to the vastly different environments found on what are now the world’s continents.
The exhibit features 10 animatronic dinosaurs, including the mighty T. rex of North America, Herrerasaurus, one of the earliest dinosaurs to appear on Earth, and the unusual, bony-crested Oviraptor from Mongolia.
The prehistoric experience continues beyond the animatronics with encounters featuring Riverbanks’ modern-day reptiles. Guests can see species including American alligators, Komodo dragons, Galapagos tortoises, king cobras and iguanas, providing a connection between dinosaurs of the past and reptiles living today.
Dr. Gregory M. Erickson, a world-renowned dinosaur paleontologist, serves as senior scientific adviser for the exhibition. His research focuses on dinosaur growth, life history and feeding biomechanics, and he has participated in more than 40 expeditions around the world. Erickson is working with Imagine Exhibitions as an adviser, writer and editor of the exhibition’s paleontology content.
“Dinosaurs Around the World was a fan favorite when it first visited Riverbanks, and we’re delighted to welcome it back,” Riverbanks President and CEO Tommy Stringfellow said. “This exhibit brings prehistoric history to life in our Botanical Garden, and when you pair that with a ride on the Saluda Skyride and encounters with our own living reptiles, it’s an experience families will remember long after their visit and one that connects the past to today’s conservation challenges.”
Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, said the exhibit will transport visitors to the landscape of Pangea in an educational and entertaining way.
Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors is included with general admission and Riverbanks membership. Tickets are available through Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
