The Dinosaur Place in Connecticut is Open for the Season

It's time to get dino-loving kids back to this beloved Montville, Connecticut attraction.

The dinosaurs are back, open, and better than ever at Nature's Art Village, one of Connecticut's most popular spots for family fun. Today marks the official season opener for the village's The Dinosaur Place, its 60-acre Outdoor Adventure Park that is home to over 50 life-size dinosaurs on walkable nature trails. It's a perfect excuse to get outside for some pandemic era-friendly and responsible fun over spring break.

Nature's Art Village

The Dinosaur Place is filled with fun adventures including a dinosaur-themed maze, two caves with animatronic dinosaurs, Monty’s Playground, a photo-worthy T-Rex Tower, and two brand-new exhibits which will be making their debut throughout the spring and summer in the newest section of the park, Lapilli Landing. These attractions include Peewee Putters, a six-hole miniature golf experience for children of every age, and Pedal Pushers, an equestrian-themed pedal kart track for ages six and up weaving its way around the new addition.

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“After the year that we all had, we are excited to start new this spring and welcome families to walk among the dinosaurs at Nature’s Art Village,” said Colin Walsh, the executive director at Nature’s Art Village in Montville. “We have made some remarkable improvements to the park for our guests’ enjoyment, and we cannot wait to share these experiences with them in just a few weeks.”

Nature's Art Village

Nature’s Art Village is recommending that all families who are going to visit The Dinosaur Place bring what they need for their visit, including their own food and beverages, socks, and anything else they may need as there is no reentry into the facility. The snack bar, Monty’s Munchies, will be open daily from June 12th through Labor Day but won't be operational till then (an important note to jot down for spring breakers). Other currently-available attractions at Nature's Art Village include Discovery Depot, where guests can actually 'pan' for their own gold to relive the excitement of the historic California Gold Rush, Jackpot Mine to dig for crystals and minerals, and a Geode Center to handpick their own geodes to be sliced in half. And yes, those geodes are sliced on the spot for onlookers to enjoy and get a kick out of.

"I'm really excited for this, and will probably head over next week," said Connecticut mom of 3, Jamie Carr. "I've been homeschooling my bigger two kids, ages 7 and 6, for the last year, and I think I've done a pretty good job, but they could definitely use some more outdoors excitement after all the winter weather, and I love that Nature's Art Village is all about the hands-on science aspect of learning for kids."

Nature's Art Village

The attraction is also doing their best to follow safe health protocols, encouraging to guests to adhere to social distancing, good hygiene, and masks. The park's COVID-19 protocols can be found here, as well as full hours and pricing details here.

The dinosaur attractions are mostly open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily, with additional children's activities available from 1 PM to 5 PM each Saturday and Sunday. Prices start at $19.99 for seniors and go up to $23.99 for children during the week, with slightly hiring pricing for weekends and peak park times. The park also has an inclement weather policy and doesn't offer rain checks, so make sure you check the forecast before getting your dino-themed day started.

Have you been to this local Connecticut hot spot for little dinosaur lovers? We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below.