Animatronic dinosaurs await young and old alike outside the Clinton Presidential Center (CPC) for one more week as part of a temporary exhibit called “Dinosaurs Around the World,” which has been open to the public since April 25. The exhibit officially closes on Oct. 18 and can be accessed in its entirety with the $5 admission fee to the CPC.
According to executive director Stephanie S. Streett, the CPC is hosting the global premiere of the exhibit.
“Our summer exhibits are highly anticipated by the community because they are specifically designed to appeal to the entire family,” Streett said in an April press release.
The exhibit not only features 13 animatronic dinosaurs that are sure to delight young visitors, but also includes highly detailed information on fossil records, geology and climatology relating to the prehistoric lizards of ancient times.
“Dinosaurs Around the World” is not a large exhibit, containing only two rooms of information and animatronics. A well-rounded visit would take no more than an hour. But the exhibit contains vast amounts of information to help draw conclusions on age-old discussions, such as the “myth of the Griffin” (it is thought to have been inspired by the fossils of the dinosaur Protoceratops) and the famous Velociraptor (whose name actually means “swift plunderer” and is considered to be one of the most ferocious of the smaller dinosaur species).
The exhibit also covers an aspect of paleontology, displaying and describing tools used in the profession, as well as the usage of more unconventional household items like glue and paintbrushes. One panel provides information about various dinosaur genera, while giving visitors the opportunity to name their own dinosaur.
Although not as large as I was anticipating, the exhibit was fun, colorful and effective at transporting visitors to the Mesozoic period, if only for a short time. If you want to spice up your Snapchat story with a little bit of Jurassic flavoring, take a trip to the CPC before Oct. 18.
