Dinosaurs that once roamed the state’s landscape are roaring into Science Museum Oklahoma this spring as “Red Dirt Dinos: An Oklahoma Dinosaur Adventure” returns to Oklahoma City.
The region’s largest Cretaceous carnivore and an herbivore that called southeastern Oklahoma’s Atoka County home are among the animatronic dinosaurs at the center of “Red Dirt Dinos: An Oklahoma Dinosaur Adventure,” now open at SMO.
Created exclusively for the Science Museum Oklahoma-based Oklahoma Museum Network, the exhibit features three interactive, lifelike robotic dinosaurs and a variety of hands-on components that help visitors better understand some of the giant creatures that called Oklahoma’s red dirt landscape home.
The exhibit is returning to SMO after stops at each of the museums in the statewide Oklahoma Museum Network.
“The Red Dirt Dinos are a favorite among our guests — we’re excited to have them back on our stomping grounds here at SMO,” said Sherry Marshall, president and CEO of Science Museum Oklahoma.
The exhibition features three dinosaurs: Acrocanthosaurus, a carnivore and the official dinosaur of the state of Oklahoma; Tenontosaurus, a long-tailed herbivore; and one of its predators, Deinonychus, a carnivore with sickle-shaped, switchblade-like claws.
“The dinosaurs operate using infrared technology — they can detect movement of people in the exhibit and even distinguish between children and adults. They not only react to visitors but also to other dinosaurs within the exhibit — it creates an awesome, immersive experience,” added Marshall.
In addition to the dinosaurs, “Red Dirt Dinos” features a hands-on excavation site, a paleontologist’s tent and archaeology tools, a dinosaur egg scanner, a giant crawl-through log, and life-size replicas of the skull and skeleton of the Acrocanthosaurus and Velociraptor.
“Red Dirt Dinos: An Oklahoma Dinosaur Adventure” will be on display at SMO through Labor Day. The exhibit is included with general admission.
Science Museum Oklahoma is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Daily general admission for Science Museum Oklahoma is $15.95 for adults (ages 13 to 64) and $12.95 for children (ages 3 to 12) and seniors (65 and older). Annual memberships begin at $105.