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By Quen Knuppel-Yost
Media & Public Relations Intern
Spring 2024
The way children enjoy imagination and the exhibits present have changed. It’s no surprise that genres and trends all affect what kids love to grow up with, and we want to always encourage the exploration of these areas of interest through interactive learning and excitement the best we can. However, there has been one constant through the course of our tenure that never fails to amaze, inspire creativity and wonder in children—
Since its inception in 2004, Dinosphere® has remained a mainstay in the hearts and minds of children, and rightfully so! Whether it is the massive s auropods that guard the entrance (roughly 70 feet in length EACH), our juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex Bucky and his fully-grown counterpart Stan and their formidable opponent Kelsey the Triceratops or even our paleontology prep labs, there is a dinosaur for every child that loves them. For us as adults, learning of things that came before time is another part of the world’s history that we have come to terms with. But for children, learning about dinosaurs is truly learning the stories of creatures that they will never see outside of a museum, and that is a thrilling concept.
Imagine this—you're in elementary school again. You’ve just hopped off the school bus with your friends to start a one-of-a-kind field trip at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. As you walk through the doors, you can’t help but lean back to get a full view of our dinosaur friends wanting to join you in the Visitors Center with Bumblebee. As you pass them your excitement grows to enter another world and meet what seem to be the larger-than-life skeletons of animals you can only imagine their appearance, sound and behavior of. Prior to your arrival, in talking with your friends, their is a conversation about what dinosaurs looked like when they roamed the Earth. Nobody can come to an agreement, so you decide to settle it once and for all – you will adventure through Dinosphere to draw the best representation of the dinosaur you believe lived on this land before our time.
As you take your first steps into Dinosphere®, the outside light fades away as the natural sounds of the forest environment around you pull you in. You begin to hear the wind through the trees and suddenly—footsteps grow louder. These aren’t any normal footsteps; they belong to something much bigger than you are. As it roars, you’ve come face-to-face with the giant four-legged, long-necked beasts behind the noise—sauropods.
As we continue to learn and grow to become a museum inclusive to all communities, we understand that accessibility is important to making each museum guest feel welcomed in a space away from home. Especially for children, seeing such massive dinosaur skeletons in a loud and even intimidating environment can turn children away from exploring a world that seems unwelcoming to them. Thanks to programming like Create-A-Saurus and our investment into varying accessibility needs, children are able to explore, imagine, wonder and be curious about the prehistoric creatures that roam Dinosphere® in a less invasive way. But for those who can enter the immersive experience, Dinosphere® is a one-of-a-kind experience that sparks joy, curiosity, and wonder every time you enter.
Looking to dig into dinos at home?
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Tread carefully past these massive dinosaurs. After you’ve seen the size of their trackway and footprint, you’re prepared to explore more. Watch where you walk as you leave the Giants of the Jurassic, and step into a new arena. You are now face to face with the titans of the dinosaur world—the T. rex and Triceratops. A tale older than history is unfolding right in front of your eyes in the Creatures of the Cretaceous®.
But wait, listen to the air around you. A storm is coming. Suddenly, the rain begins to grow in volume and sound, thunder rolls through the sky, as you look for shelter, where will you go?
“Because there aren’t any modern dinosaurs or similar creatures that compare to the massiveness of the Jurassic, Mesozoic or Cretaceous, children get to spend time during the Create-A-Saurus programming investigating different fossil and tooth sizes without the extra stimulation from the sound and lights show that typically occur within the exhibit. We’ve eliminated some of the more intense parts of the immersive environment of Dinosphere® to allow space for these younger children to develop a sense of imagination.”
—Elyse Handel, Manager of Early Childhood Education
Quickly, you dart away from the lifelong foes of the Cretaceous Period upstairs to safety from the storm. Taking the chance to catch your breath, you realize you aren't on a foreign land anymore. You’ve managed to step outside of the bubble of Dinosphere®—and into a world of inquisition and learning. You are in the Dinosphere Art Lab with fellow paleo artists, all trying to create the perfect dinosaur, just like you. While an exciting task, this can only be completed one way...
You must brave the terrain of Dinosphere® once more. You have seen what the Giants of the Jurassic™ and Creatures of the Cretaceous® have to offer, but are far from having a complete understanding of the ecosystem you have jumped into. You must interview paleontologists to learn more and potentially wade into the deep blue of the Mesozoic.
Learning from the last encounter, you are much more careful entering the grounds between the T. rex and Triceratops. Yet as familiar as the surroundings are, you’ve noticed things are different now that you are prepared! Smaller dinosaurs surround you but are unknown to you. Are they friends? Are they foes? You must get a closer look at each of them if you are to complete the best iteration of what dinosaur you believe roamed the Earth during this time.
Inspect, observe and detail in your notes what you find important about each of these different dinosaurs—every bit of information you can record will only help in your objective.
Children can put color to paper as they color the image of their dinosaur that they had conjured up in their mind. They then can scan their coloring to come to life on the screen in front of them as a living and breathing dinosaur! Through this interaction, children can find validation in their imagination and creation as a paleoartist, inspiring them to continue exploring the world beyond what they know in Dinosphere®.
Dinosphere® continues to be a place for kids to learn, be inquisitive, and think about what life was like before dinosaurs went extinct. Not only are we able to encourage this learning and deeper thought process, but we do so with the entire family in mind. The museum gears the exhibit towards fostering an environment for family learning, where the whole group can observe dinosaurs in our exhibit and inspire children to begin thinking about how to learn more about creatures that are no longer roaming the earth.
You’ve done as much firsthand research as you can without stirring further confrontation with the T. rex and Triceratops. While intimidating due to their size, they have promised you safe passage through their terrain due to your natural curiosity as to their life and characteristics. Never have they met a paleo artist as curious as you!
Make sure to roll your pant legs up and grab a snorkel—it's time to investigate the creatures in the deep blue sea. While you are confident these creatures shared time and space with the dinosaurs, you’re unsure if they are related. Further observations must be made to divulge the truth. Tread through the rich blue waters, as you come across what appears to be the biggest turtle-like creature you have faced, an Archelon. A massive creature, you’re starstruck as it glides past you, slowly but surely as a strong creature for its size. You’ve shaken yourself out of a trance in the nick of time to dodge the snake-like neck of the Elasmosaurus, the 14-foot-long predator of the waters known for its sharp teeth. Swimming carefully amongst the vastness of the water, you visit a number of other different creatures of the Mesozoic before realizing your time is running out, and you need to bring to life the details you’ve learned from your time in Dinosphere®.
Dinosphere® continues to grow as an exhibit due to the real work happening behind the scenes. With the museum’s land lease in Wyoming on the Jurassic Mile® dig site, our paleontology team can continuously uncover details of the prehistoric beings through their fossils found on the earth. Our team is committed to learning and provoking further insight into the world before our modern times, and this commitment only fuels the experience families can have here at the museum.
There isn’t one way to explore Dinosphere®, and it isn’t meant to be the one-stop-shop for our museum. Dinosphere®is a way for families to explore the world before our modern era and develop a quizzical sense of the creatures that hadn’t been presented before. Broken into three different time periods, we can appreciate how these beings adapted and braved the harsh world around them as necessary to live. Children can observe real evidence of fascinating creatures and how they lived, appreciate it for what it is, while also immersing themselves in the wonderful world of imagination that we want them to have while at the museum.
As your time in Dinosphere®is closing, you return to create the perfect dinosaur. Detailing the edges, the teeth, the scales, and the color, you are satisfied with your creation. Applying the finishing touches, you’re ready to see it in action. Step up to the scanner, place your artwork down, and watch the creature come to life. Across the screen your dinosaur dances, and you can’t help but feel a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction, as your time in this world has concluded with your perfect creation. While unable to stay later, you have a sense that your dinosaur friends will be here upon return next time. Duty calls elsewhere, your expertise is needed in many parts of the museum. Where will you help next?
This is only one of countless stories that can be dreamed up and experienced in the world of Dinosphere®. There is always more to explore, more to learn, and more to imagine when it comes to dinosaurs. Start your expedition into the prehistoric at The Children’s Museum today and buy tickets online to experience Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World®.
Your support helps us ensure that exhibits like Dinosphere® continue to to ignite joy, wonder, and curiosity by creating powerful learning experiences for children and adults. Please consider making a donation today!
