Rochelle Checks Out Jurassic Quest

Calling all SoCal Dinosaur lovers, there’s a dino-sized treat in town for you! What started about 7 years ago as a show at convention centers is now an outdoor drive-through event. That’s right, Jurassic Quest is back in town, and they have adapted their show to fit within the Covid safety protocols.

Before we go into the details for the events, we want to remind people that we are still within the thralls of a pandemic, and recommend people check out our article on “If You Should Go Out” Here. In keeping with our promise within that article though, lets talk about the steps taken by the event to stay safe for it’s attendees. The event is distanced, as long as the people inside the vehicle are your family you will be safe. Additionally, while there is some out of car interactions, people in the car are required to wear masks, and all staff are socially distanced.

The folks behind Jurassic Quest have a quest of their own: to bring their exciting display to towns that may not have many options for family-friendly activities, especially in Covid times. The tour in Southern California starts at the Rose Bowl then heads to Costa Mesa next month and finally finishes in Pomona at the end of February.

There are over 70 species of dinosaurs to see, hear, and learn about. That’s right! It’s a very educational event, and felt very much like a cross between a safari and a museum. The Audio Tour is available on Youtube and Soundcloud, and offers a guide in either English and Spanish. During this approximately one-hour tour, they dish out the details on dinosaurs from the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic Periods. Included are the popular T-Rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor, and Megalodon, but there are also many you’ve probably never even heard of. Adapting to this contactless experience was probably not easy, but they took that extra effort to make it feel more immersive with an added story element that offers a sense of urgency on your drive (to avoid any spoilers). While the story may be predictable, it made the narrative more interesting and less textbook. But if you really want to know more about the dinosaurs or even just have a tech question, they welcome any and all questions via texting 844-Dino-411. You may feel partially removed by the immersion since you know you’re driving in a parking lot and the environment feels sparse but the little additions of the floral, rocky, or ocean environments surrounding each dino is enough to get the point across as to where each species dwelt. That said, we were very impressed by the life-size animatronic dinosaurs, from the fine details like the color of their scales and feathers to their coos and roars, and the way they moved. And I don’t know if it was because we were at the Rose Bowl, but I can actually see these dinos on a float as part of the New Year’s Rose Parade.

At the end of the quest there is merchandise available to purchase as well as a photo opp with a dinosaur from your car. A photographer snaps a shot and then gives you a card with a code where you can download the photo. An extra bonus is that they have dino trainers on site, with baby dinosaurs ready to greet you. Just be sure you wear your mask!

After the event I spoke (via Zoom) with fossil expert Prehistoric Nick, a writer and performer in the audio. He introduced me to Tyson the T-Rex. We’ll be posting our chat shortly on the site. Meeting these dinos is a pleasant surprise, and gave me that sense of childlike wonder.

Overall, you can feel the love and pride put into this event. It’s very organized and well-managed. Even their theme song is super catchy! Portable restrooms are available. Tickets start at $49 per vehicle, with up to 3 additional Quest Packs which include a Dino Surprise. Grab the kids and see the dinosaurs now until February 28th (3 SoCal locations). 9am-8pm, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. 9am-9pm Fridays and Saturdays.

For more information or to buy your own tickets head to their site Here!

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