Photos courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden.

Dinosaurs are stomping their way to the Missouri Botanical Garden this summer!

MoBot is celebrating the Climatron’s 50th anniversary with DinoQuest, a special exhibit that will run this summer and fall at the garden. The exhibit charges an extra fee (see below) on top of normal admission.

A dozen dinosaur scenes have been staged within the Climatron’s dome and hands-on exhibits for kids are available in the attached Brookings Interpretive Center. Two other dino displays are outside the Climatron to give visitors a taste of what awaits them inside.

When you walk through DinoQuest you’ll see plants and animals that existed millions of years ago during the golden age of the dinosaur. DinoQuest is described as a “trek through time” where you will experience life in a tropical forest long ago, today and tomorrow.

The herd of  life-sized realistic dinosaurs are made by Guy Darrough of Lost World Studios in Arnold. Darrough crafts dinosaurs for museums and parks throughout the country, including the creatures on display at the Butterfly Garden’s “Jurassic Bugs” (running in conjunction with DinoQuest) and two dinos located at the St. Louis Science Center.

“My ultimate goal is to create an experience that is realistic enough to draw visitors into the arena of science and learning,” said Darrough. “The aesthetic appeal of these dinosaurs coupled with the surrounding vegetation is just incredible.”

DinoQuest: A Tropical Trek Through Time
May 1 through Oct. 3, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

at the Missouri Botanical Garden
Exhibit admission: $5 adults, $3 children (3-12), in addition to Garden admission.
Garden admission: $8 adults, $4 St. Louis City/County residents, free children.
General admission to the Garden is free to St. Louis City and County residents until noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

For more info, check out the Missouri Botanical Website or call: (314) 577-9400

Related articles by Zemanta

• Dinosaur fossil found in pensioner’s garden rockery (telegraph.co.uk)
• The Healing Art of Henry Domke – Missouri Botanical Garden Exhibit (healthcarefineart.com)