Jurassic Forest (tourist attraction) facts for kids

The entrance to the park.

Jurassic Forest is an exciting seasonal park in Alberta, Canada. It's located on Highway 28, just north of Gibbons, Alberta, and is only a short drive from Edmonton. This unique park is set in a beautiful boreal forest, where you can discover over 40 amazing animatronic dinosaurs. These lifelike dinosaurs move and make sounds, making you feel like you've stepped back in time!

You can easily see the dinosaurs from special wooden trails that wind through the forest. There are two main trails, called the South Discovery Trail and the North Discovery Trail. Each trail is about 1.0 kilometer long. The trails are also great for everyone, as they are wheelchair friendly and can be used no matter the weather.

Discovering Jurassic Forest: A Look at Its History

Jurassic Forest first opened its doors on Friday, July 30, 2010. When it started, the park had 42 moving dinosaurs, a special learning center, a snack bar, and a gift shop. It was designed to be a fun place where you could also learn a lot about dinosaurs.

New Additions and Growth

In 2011, Jurassic Forest got even better! They improved the snack area and made the playground bigger and more fun. They also added three new interactive displays inside the learning center. A new dinosaur, the Spinosaurus, joined the North Discovery Trail, becoming the 43rd dinosaur in the park.

The park continued to grow in 2012. When the new season began, three new Pachyrhinosaurus dinosaurs and a Troodon were added.

Expanding the Trails and Creatures

By 2013, the park expanded its trails even more. They added brand new sections to both the North and South Discovery trails. The South extension was themed "From Scales to Fur," and the North extension was called "Taking Flight." These new areas brought in creatures that weren't just dinosaurs, making the park even more diverse. With these additions, the total number of amazing animals on display reached 51!

Meet the Dinosaurs and Other Creatures

A dinosaur along the North Loop trail of the park

Jurassic Forest is home to many different types of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. Here are some of the incredible creatures you might see:

• Albertosaurus
• Ankylosaurus
• Apatosaurus
• Coelophysis
• Corythosaurus
• Dimetrodon
• Edmontosaurus
• Gastornis
• Hadrosaurus
• Iguanodon
• Maiasaura
• Ornitholestes
• Pachycephalosaurus
• Parasaurolophus
• Pteranodon
• Spinosaurus
• Stegosaurus
• Styracosaurus
• Triceratops
• Tyrannosaurus
• Utahraptor
• Troodon

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