When Dinosaurs Ruled
Growing up in Chicago, I was lucky enough to have the Field Museum of Natural History nearby with it’s prized possession - Sue, the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton in the world. But as a kid, I couldn’t truly fathom what these giant creatures might have been like when they dominated our planet. Now, it might be possible.
Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience may be the closest thing to traveling back to prehistoric times when dinosaurs were roaming the earth…at least until something like Jurassic Park becomes a reality.
Scientists helped designers create 15 life-sized and life-like dinosaurs that roamed the earth 200 million years ago. There’s aren’t cheesy wire-controlled models. These creatures are brought to life using the latest in animatronics, puppetry and a major stage production. The dinos look like the real thing and can not only walk and roar, and may even interact with the audience.
Tracing their evolution, you’ll watch the cycle of life from dinosaur eggs hatching to full size adults. Some of the the stars include the:
- 45-foot tall, 75-foot long Brachiosaurus,
- Flesh-slashing “Jurassic Park” co-star Velociraptor,
- 7-ton Stegasaurus super-heavyweight
- World’s largest bird - the Ornithocheirus with its 40-foot wingspan,
- Ever-ferocious (but the always lovable) Tyrannosaurus Rex and her baby.
One brave paleontologist acts as the host and narrates the stories of these prehistoric giants as he takes viewers through their evolution.
Based on the award-winning BBC Television dinosaur series, the 90-minute spectacle is touring 14 U.S. cities through December. At a cost of $20 million to develop, the show requires a crew of 65 people filling 27 trucks to move and set-up the show. Teams of two or three run each of the larger dinosaurs.
In some recent dinosaur news — Scientists in a study published in the Royal Society’s Biological Sciences recently calculated the running speeds of several dinosaurs, including the Velociraptor at 24 mph and the T-rex at 18 mph, though not quite fast enough to catch a human (Olympic-class) sprinter clocked 25 mph. But I sense the dinos have a bit more stamina over the long run.
Based on reports from other cities, Walking with Dinosaurs sounds like a “don’t miss” show. Check out the video below.
Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience
Verizon Center
601 F Street, NW, (between 6th and 7th NE)
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)
Dates and Times - Wednesday, Sept. 19th - Saturday, Sept. 22nd, 7:00 p.m. nightly, plus 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, as well as 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Tickets - $30.50 - $82.50 and are available online. Kids 3 and over require a ticket.
Nearest Metro Subway Station - Gallery Place / Chinatown (the Metro station is below the Verizon Center) - Red, Yellow and Green lines.
Parking - limited street parking in the area, but various paid lots and garages are within a short walk.
Photos: 1 and 4, Flickr, 2, 3, 5 and video courtesy of Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience.
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POSTED IN: Events, Family Fun, Great Activities for a Date, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, Special Events
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