The lifelike dinosaurs of the DinosAlive exhibition will be spending their summer at the Capegate Mall in Cape Town from 18 November 2016 until 8 January 2016. The showcase offers visitors the chance to experience 25 animatronic dinosaurs (with moving limbs, eyes that blink and more) in a fun, interactive environment.
“We are very pleased to return to Cape Town after having a highly successful inception in 2014,” says Etienne Schlechter, Director of Expo Africa and organiser of the event. “The reception and feedback we receive from audiences – young and old alike – has been overwhelming!”
Each model dinosaur is built to closely replicate its real-life counterpart. Visitors can look forward to seeing celebrity dinos such as the infamous carnivore T-Rex, movie star Velociraptor and gigantic herbivore Diplodocus. For the more discerning dino-lover, there are also obscure names like the South African Pachycephalosaurus, terrifying Spinosaurus and egg-poaching Oviraptor on display.
“It’s top priority for us that everyone has loads of fun at the exhibition. We have an ‘excavation site’, – a sandpit full of ‘fossils’ for young archaeologists to put their skills to the test – dinosaur rides, face painting, a drawing table, jumping castle and PlayStation games to keep the kids busy,” Schlechter continues. “For the adults, there’s a dino movie room, fossil display site and Dino Café.”
DinosAlive believes that it’s important that visitors feel that they have also learned something at the exhibition upon departure. For this purpose, there are information boards explaining all three dinosaur eras. Visitors can also obtain a souvenir from the DinosAlive merchandise shop to commemorate the fun experience.
Tickets for the DinosAlive exhibition at Capegate Shopping Center in Cape Town are currently on sale online at online.computicket.com. Prices are R75 for children between 2-16 years and R100 for adults. Tickets will also be on sale at the door during the time of the exhibition.
Our exhibitions also feature the gentle Apatosaurus in the form a ride. Kids can jump on its back and feel like the king of the jungle millions of years ago.
Kids love to get into the saddle of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The ride has movement and sound and will make any kid feel like a pre-historic cowboy.
Iguanodon was a bulky herbivore that grew up to 13 metres long. It had a beak with teeth similar to that of today’s iguana. Its name means “iguana-tooth”. It lived during the Mid-Jurassic period and could walk on 2 or 4 legs.
Caudipteryx means “tail feather”. It was a peacock-sized theropod dinosaur and lived during the Aptian age of the early Cretaceous period. It measured about 1 metre and had an interesting mix of reptile and bird-like features.
Oviraptor was a small theropod dinosaur. Its name means “egg taker” as it used to feed off other dinosaur eggs. It lived some 75 million years ago in the inner Mongolian region of China. Oviraptor was one of the most bird-like of non-avian dinosaurs.
Styracosaurus means “spiked lizard”. A herbivore, it measured 5.5 metres in length and weighed approximately 2721.55 kilograms. Much like its family member, Triceratops, it used its powerful horns to protect itself against predators.
Diplodocus was first discovered in 1877. It’s an easily identifiable dinosaur with its classic shape, long neck and tail, and four sturdy legs. It was a herbivore and reached lengths of up to 33 metres, making it one of the longest dinosaurs to live.
Spinosaurus means “spine lizard’ and this huge carnivore measured 15 metres in length. It has been a contender for the longest and largest theropod dinosaur and is thought to have lived both on land and in water. It existed during the Cretaceous period.
Brachiosuarus was first discovered in 1903 from fossils found in the Grand Canyon. It was a huge herbivore measuring up to 26 metres. Brachiosaurus was part of the sauropod family and lived during the Jurassic period.
Ankylosaurus was a sturdy herbivore that measured up to 9 metres and weighed 5443.11 kilograms. It featured a famous hard, bony tail that acted as a club against predators. Ankylosaurus lived towards the very end of the Cretaceous period.
Stegosaurus’ name means “covered lizard” and it was a heavily-built herbivore that measured as long as 9 metres. On the end of its tail, it sported 4 sharp spikes which it used to fend off predators. It lived during the Late Jurrasic period.
Saltasaurus means “Lizard from Salta”. It lived during the Cretacious period and was one of the smaller Sauropod dinosaurs. This dinosaur was an estimated 12 metres long. It was a herbivore and weighed an estimated 7257.48 kilograms.
Pteranodon was part of the flying reptile genus called Pterosaurs. Some Pterosaurs had a wingspan of over 6 metres. They existed during the late Cretacious period and were mostly found in parts of North America.
This dinosaur’s name means “near crested lizard” and it was an estimated 9.5 metres long and weighed approximately 2267.96 kilograms. It was part of the hadrosaurid group. A herbivore, it was known for the elongated crest on its head.
Pachycephalosaurus means “thick headed lizard”. It was discovered in South Africa and used its thick skull to defend itself from attackers. This omnivore lived during the late Cretaceous period.
Triceratops was a gentle herbivore and lived some 68 million years ago. It was estimated to have reached up to 9 metres long and 3 metres high. It was equiped with 3 horns on its enormous skull – one of the largest skulls of all dinosaurs.
The T-Rex is a cultural phenomenon whose name translates into “tyrant lizard”. It lived throughout western North America. Rex means “King” in latin. It was a carnivore and lived up to its name as a true predatory king, measuring up to 12.3 metres.
The name “Allosaurus” means “different lizard” and it lived during the late Jurrasic period. This dinosaur was a predator and measured over 12 metres long. As a meat eater it was equiped with rows of sharp teeth to tear through its prey.