Dinosaur Walk Museum facts for kids

The Dinosaur Walk Museum was a cool place where you could see giant, life-size dinosaur sculptures! It also had amazing copies of real fossils. There were two main locations for this museum: one in Riverhead, New York, and another in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

A museum that used to be a Dinosaur Walk Museum in Branson, Missouri, later closed and moved. It's now known as the Branson Dinosaur Museum.

Museum History

The very first Dinosaur Walk Museum opened its doors on June 24, 2004. It was located in Riverhead, New York, on Long Island. An artist named Fred Hoppe designed and created all the amazing exhibits. This museum had one of the biggest collections of prehistoric animals in the world! Sadly, this location closed down in July 2008.

The museum in Pigeon Forge also closed, reportedly in 2011.

What Could You See?

The museum had incredible exhibits of 47 different dinosaur species. All the dinosaur models were made to be life-size. They were carefully created based on actual fossil records, so they looked just like the real animals!

Some of the awesome creatures you could see included:

• Tyrannosaurus rex
• Platecarpus
• Parasaurolophus
• Daspletosaurus
• Deinonychus
• Coelophysis
• Velociraptor
• Troodon
• Plesiosaurs
• Oviraptor

You could also see large and small flying reptiles. Plus, there were skulls, bones, and skeletons of prehistoric mammals. The museum also displayed many interesting fossils.

The museum was huge, covering about 17,000 square feet over two levels. Hand-painted murals of prehistoric scenes surrounded you everywhere! The museum also had two high-definition movie theaters. They continuously played educational dinosaur movies. Kids could also enjoy hands-on activities. And of course, there was a gift shop to find cool dinosaur souvenirs!

Meet Some Dinosaurs!

Here are some of the amazing dinosaurs you could learn about at the Dinosaur Walk Museum:

Tyrannosaurus Rex

The Tyrannosaurus rex, often called T-Rex, lived during the late Cretaceous Period. That was about 66 million years ago! This giant dinosaur could grow over 43 feet long. It stood more than 15 feet tall and weighed up to 7.5 tons. Imagine seeing a creature that big!

Platecarpus

The Platecarpus was an extinct aquatic lizard. It was part of the Mosasaur family, which were huge marine reptiles. This creature could grow up to 14 feet long. It mostly ate fish, squid, and ammonites (ancient shelled creatures).

Parasaurolophus

The Parasaurolophus also lived during the Cretaceous Period, between 76 and 66 million years ago. It grew to be about 33 feet long and 16 feet high. This dinosaur weighed almost 7,700 pounds! The Parasaurolophus was an herbivore, meaning it only ate plants. Its large crest on its head was probably used for communication between males and females.

Daspletosaurus

The Daspletosaurus lived during the Upper Cretaceous Period. Its fossils have been found in what is now North America. Scientists think it might have been an ancestor of the T-Rex. It grew to over 28 feet long and weighed almost four tons. The Daspletosaurus was mainly a carnivore, meaning it ate meat.

Deinonychus

The Deinonychus lived during the early Cretaceous Period. It grew to be almost 10 feet long and weighed up to 175 pounds. Like many raptors, the Deinonychus had a special sickle-shaped claw on its foot. It used this claw mainly for attacking its prey.

Coelophysis

The Coelophysis lived during the late Triassic Period, almost 210 million years ago. It was a smaller dinosaur, growing between 6.5 and 10 feet long. It was less than a meter tall at its hips. The Coelophysis had a unique "S" shape in its neck vertebrae. It is even the official dinosaur of New York State!

Velociraptor

The Velociraptor lived during the late Cretaceous Period, between 83 and 70 million years ago. This carnivore could grow up to 5.9 feet long and weigh up to 45 pounds. Velociraptors had long, curved claws on their feet. They used these claws to attack their prey. Interestingly, their bone structure was similar to many modern-day birds!

Troodon

The Troodon was a small, bird-like dinosaur. It grew up to 6.5 feet long and 3 feet tall. It only weighed up to 130 pounds! The Troodon lived during the late Cretaceous Period, from 75 to 66 million years ago. At first, scientists thought it was a carnivore. But newer evidence suggests it might have been an omnivore (eating both plants and meat) or even an herbivore.

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs were carnivorous aquatic reptiles. This means they were meat-eating reptiles that lived in the water. They first appeared at the beginning of the Jurassic Period. They were very successful throughout the Cretaceous Period. Even though they lived at the same time as dinosaurs, they were not dinosaurs themselves. They are considered a different group of reptiles.

Oviraptor

The Oviraptor lived during the late Cretaceous Period, about 80 to 70 million years ago. Its name means "Egg Thief." This is because early discoveries showed an Oviraptor near what looked like Protoceratops eggs. However, when the dig was studied more closely, it turned out the Oviraptor was actually huddled over a nest of its own eggs! So, even though its name means "egg thief," scientists now believe they were actually "egg protectors."