Here in the Austin area, we’re lucky to have some pretty cool places for kids to play paleontologist and uncover fun dinosaur discoveries. Whether you’re checking out silly stuff like dino drive-thrus and digging up bones in a mock setting, or walking in real dinosaur tracks and viewing fossils in a museum, there are several ways to engage your junior dino lovers. Here are some of the best spots to explore.
Dinosaur Fun Around Austin:
— Hartman Prehistoric Garden in Zilker Botanical Garden
In 1992, amateur paleontologists discovered dinosaurs once roamed the grounds of Zilker Botanical Garden. More than 100 tracks made by six or seven reptiles along with the bones of an ancient turtle were found. Paleontologists studied the best methods to preserve the tracks because they were deteriorating rapidly. Researchers decided to map and make casts of the tracks, then rebury the tracks to prevent further loss from exposure. This two-acre site has since been developed as a Cretaceous habitat. Plants in the garden represent the types that existed at the time of the dinosaurs. Here you’ll also find a life-sized sculpture of an Ornithomimus.
Admission & Hours: Open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. with advanced reservations. Book your visit online here. Free for children ages 2 & under; Youth (ages 3-17) is $3 for Austin residents/$4 for non-residents; Adults is $6 for Austin residents/$8 for non-residents; Seniors (ages 62 & over) is $5 for Austin residents/$7 for non-residents.
Photo credit: Zilker Botanical Garden Facebook page
— The Dinosaur Park
Located in Cedar Creek, TX, 12 miles east of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, The Dino Park is a really fun place to take the kids. You can walk along a tree-lined path to discover life-size replicas of dinosaurs. There is also an interactive scavenger hunt you can try and a really great dino-themed gift shop. Click here to read our review of The Dino Park for more to know before you go.
Admission & Hours: $8 for children; $9 for adults and teens. Children under the age of 2 are free. During winter they are open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Photo credit: Heidi Okla
— The Dinosaur Drive-Thru
A new pop-up event has been set up in the parking lot of Six Flags in San Antonio — a big dinosaur drive thru! For kids of all ages, Dinosaur Drive-Thru is a ticketed event running through February 21, 2021. It features over 60 life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs that all move and roar. Your entire drive-thru adventure is guided by an educational audio tour, in both English and Spanish, with jokes and fun facts about each dinosaur as well as a trivia game to play as you drive through. The Do512 Family team has not yet had the chance to visit this one, but it does sound like a COVID-friendly activity.
Hours & Admission: Open with several day and night times through February 21. Tickets are $49 per car, which you can buy online here.
Photo from the Dinosaur Drive-Thru website
— Dinosaur Tracks in Leander Texas
According to the Leander Chamber of Commerce, the geology and weather of Leander, Texas has preserved a number of amazing fossils including a set of dinosaur tracks possibly made by an acrocanthosaurus in the South Gabriel River in northern Leander, and it’s possible to hike down the San Gabriel to see the prints when the river is dry. More details about finding the tracks can be found here.
— Fossil Dig at the Science Mill
This children’s museum in Johnson City, has plenty of awesome exhibits for kids to enjoy, including the outdoor Fossil Dig where you can grab some excavating tools and use the skills of a paleontologist.
Admission & Hours: Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday: 12-4 p.m.; free for kids ages 2 & under; $9.50 for youth ages 3-17; $11 for Adults; $9 for seniors
Photo from the Science Mill website
— Dino Dig at Champion Park
This park in Cedar Park offers a large, shaded sandbox where kids can dig for dinosaur bones. Bring your own buckets and shovels for digging. You’ll also find replicas of dinosaur eggs and bones that children can climb on.
Admission and Hours: The park is free to the public. Park hours are 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Photo credit: RVIPlanning.com
— Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery at the Witte Museum
We love the Witte Museum in San Antonio’s museum district. Encounter fossils and replicas from floor to ceiling a replica of a Quetzacoatalus skeleton soaring over your head as well as full-size replicas of the skeletons of Tyrannosaurus Rex and Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, which were, respectively, the largest and second-largest carnivorous animals ever to walk across North America. You’ll also find the mosasaur, fish and turtles giving you a look into the ancient seas that covered much of Texas 90 million years ago.
Admission and Hours: Monday, Wednesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday: 12-5 p.m; $10 for kids ages 4-11; $14 for ages 12-64
Photo from the Witte Museum website
— Stan the T. Rex at the Mayborne Museum Complex
On your next visit to Waco, TX you can plan to stop by the Mayborne Museum Complex at the Baylor University campus to see a cast of the renowned Tyrannosaurus rex fossil known as Stan on display. The original Stan was found in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota in 1987 and excavated in 1992. It is one of the most complete T. rex fossils discovered. The completed specimen is twelve feet tall and almost forty feet long. This exhibit was made possible by a generous loan from the Perot Museum in Dallas, Texas.
Admission & Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1-5 p.m.; $7 for ages 2-12; $9 for adults; $8 for seniors
Photo from the Mayborne Museum Complex Facebook page
— The Texas Memorial Museum (currently closed)
When you enter the Hall of Geology and Paleontology in this museum on the UT Austin campus, your dinosaur fans will be in awe of the 500+ dinosaur and fossil specimens including the Onion Creek Mosasaur, a 30 foot aquatic reptile that swam in the shallow seas of Texas during the Cretaceous Period. Texas Memorial Museum has a long history of collecting dinosaur fossils in the Big Bend region of Texas. Remains of the sauropod Alamosaurus, ceratopsid Chasmosaurus, hadrosaurid Kritosaurus and theropod Tyrannosaurus are on exhibit alongside several specimens from other parts of North America.
Admission & Hours: This museum is currently closed due to COVID-19, but please keep it on your list for a future visit.
Photo credit: Texas Memorial Museum website
— Austin Nature and Science Center Dino Pit (currently closed)
The Dino Pit is an outdoor paleontology exhibit at the Austin Nature and Science Center (ANSC) located within Zilker Park. Kids can dig for dinosaur bones with shovels and then use brushes to examine their discoveries closely. Click here to read more about taking your kids to the ANSC.
Admission & Hours: Currently closed due to COVID-19, but you can check out a great Tiny Tour video online here!
— Jurrasic Car Wash
Yes, this one is actually a car wash, but for your little dino fans, they can enjoy being in the presence of animatronic dinosaurs while you get your vehicle nice nice and clean. It sure makes taking the kids along for this chore a lot more entertaining. Open 24/7 in South Austin. More info here.
Photo from the Jurassic Car Wash Facebook page
More to Explore: For a longer drive from Austin, you can put one of these spots on your someday travel list:
