Photography
©Katherine Fung
Did you know that the first dinosaur appeared in the Triassic Period 230 million years ago?
What is Jurassic Quest?
Jurassic Quest is the largest family-friendly, educational, & interactive dinosaur event that travels all over the United States & Canada.
The event usually takes place over three days.
Experience exhibits larger than life, with amazing models of dinosaurs displays that take you back to the land before time, along with fun, unique, and immersive activities, suitable for all ages.
Whether riding on the back of your favorite dinosaur or learning about dinosaur poop, the whole family is sure to get lost in lots of fun.
You can read my "Tips and Notes" at the end of this post to make the most of your trip if you plan on attending.
Reno, Nevada Schedule, 2024
@ Reno-Sparks Convention
(annual event)
November 6-8 (8am-5pm)
Wondering if they'll visit your city? Check out their schedule HERE.
What age groups are ideal for Jurassic Quest?
Kid's tickets, both standard and unlimited, are for children ages 2–10.
Children under two are free and have their own tot area with a bounce house & stationary dinosaurs they can climb and sit on (Reno, NV location). Pay an extra $6 per attraction not included in standard admission.
Standard or Unlimited Admission?
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12/3-4/2022 Rates for Reno, NV
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Standard Admission
Raptor training experience show (plays every hour on the half hour), concession stand, dinosaur exhibits, including "ask an expert" fossil section, "Jurassic Quest" experience to earn a certificate, sticker, and $5 dollar off coupon for souvenirs at the gift shop, souvenir shop, and photo opportunity sets (3 sets in Reno location).
Kid's Unlimited Admission
Includes all of the above mentioned in standard, plus craft stations, inflatable attractions (4–7 at Reno location), walking dinosaur ride, huge stationary dinosaur ride, race car ride for children ages 4–7, fossil dig.
Height, Weight, and Other Requirements
*For stationary dinosaur rides and large inflatbles - must be at least 36" and no more than 120lbs.
*Children must have socks for inflatable attractions (socks available at event for purchase)
*Age group for race cars (aka power wheels) of 3–7 years old
*Tickets can be purchased online or in person. In person tickets are not guaranteed. Purchasing them online is recommended.
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| Picture taken during raptor experience that happens every hour on the half hour. |
Descriptions of Attractions at Jurassic Quest
Standard
*Dinosaur Exhibits - larger than life dinosaurs, including some huge animatronic ones that move (T-Rex & Triceratops). The details on these dinosaurs are incredible and the way they set them up with props and lighting contributes to a prehistoric atmosphere. Each dinosaur has a educational plaque. There is a bonus "Ancient Oceans" section that includes a HUGE sea turtle, shark, and megladon.
*Photo Opportunities - 3 photo sets, including stationary dinos that you can climb and sit on, dino egg shells, Jurassic Quest backdrop with professional lighting. You can also take pictures in front of any of the huge dinosaurs on set.
*Baby Dino Experience - Encounter a worker walking around with a "baby dino." Find out how fun (and mischievous) baby dinos (and humans) are by having a fun interaction with them. One of the highlights of our visit as the baby dino suddenly decided he was hungry and went for an adult's neck.
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| This worker was so fun and made his baby dino puppet come to life. He made the kids giggle. |
*Raptor Training Experience - A fun and interactive show that plays every hour, on the half hour. Children get up close and personal with a very fun and outgoing raptor while training it to "turn around," "come," "fetch," and "play nice".
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Pet this fun raptor at The Raptor Training Experience that plays every hour on the half hour.
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| A super fun raptor trainer that put on a great show with her "mischievous" raptor. |
*Ask an Expert Exhibit - Marvel at some real fossils, compare your foot print to a T-Rex foot print, and learn about the amazing history of dinosaurs.
*Go on a "Jurassic Quest" Activity - Scavenger hunt-like game that uses riddles that take you to stations to complete an activity like taking a selfie, doing a craft, and figuring out which dinosaur is the most famous. After your quest is completed, collect a certificate, sticker, and a $5 off coupon for the souvenir shop.
*Souvenir Shop - toys and merchandise available for purchase. There was a super cute and popular dino balloon that walks on the ground as you pull it. $25, $20 with their coupon.
*Concession Stand - Vendor may or may not be available depending on location.
In Reno, we had Keva Juice that served hot dogs, fruit smoothies, pretzels, pop corn, coffee, lattes, candy, lemonade, and soft drinks.
Attractions Included in Unlimited Admission
(all standard attractions above from standard included in this option)
*Inflatable Attractions - HUGE bounce houses, run while attached to a bungee inflatable, soccer, football, and basketball inflatables, sit in the mouth of a shark inflatable
*Crafting Stations - Exercise your creativity with fun dino crafts. All supplies included with unlimited admission option.
*Walking Dinosaurs Ride - Ridable baby dinos that move forward slowly. There were 5 available at the Reno location.
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| The worker at this station was so kind and fun. |
*Huge Stationary and Rideable Dinosaurs - Children fall in line to ride on the back of a huge dino of their choosing. I chose the smallest one as it moved much more than the bigger dinos. There were 5 to choose from at the Reno location.
*Car Races - Smaller children (3–7 years old) ride in a "power wheels" kind of car and take a couple of laps around a small round track. Each car is led by an adult with a remote controller. The adult controls the speed of the car while the child steers. They go pretty fast, so kids have a blast on them.
*Fossil Dig - Children channel their inner palentologist to uncover dinosaur fossils
Upgrades
Upgrade for "Quest Packs" include three different levels of surprise packs made of a surprise combination of souveniers. Pick up packs at check-in.
Discounts
Be sure to follow Jurassic Quest on Instagram to look out for their discounts. This past Thanksgiving, they offered a 30% off discount on admission for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Tips & Notes:
*The event took place indoors at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. There's plenty of room for strollers. They may come in handy for holding things and helping a tired child rest and get from place to place.
*They did not check my bags and stroller on my visit. I would think it would be ok to bring your own water and snacks. You can always contact them or the venue directly to double-check their food policy.
*If you're looking to avoid long lines, afternoons are their least busiest times. Though the lines in Reno went fairly fast, around 10am-2pm on a Saturday.
*If you're not planning on bringing a stroller, make sure to bring a bag to hold crafts, clothing, and water.
*Be sure to bring water as the children are likely to get thirsty from lots of activity
*I highly suggest catching the Raptor Experience show. It was a fun and immersive experience for children as they helped teach the silly raptor to "turn around" and behave. The raptor expert was great at keeping the audiences attention and was full of positive energy. Parents had a blast watching their children interact with a silly raptor that made lots of erratic movements. Check in well before the half hour to see if people are starting to wait for the show to begin. Help kids find a spot right in front of the gate and ask them to sit. When the show starts they will be instructed to stand so they could play with the raptor.
*Tag Jurassic Quest's social media accounts in your pictures and get a $5 off coupon at their souvenir shop. You can also redeem a coupon at the quest certificate station. @JURASSICQUEST or #JURASSICQUEST
*Be sure to instruct children to stand away from the gates of the car track as the car can crash into the unbolted gate and knock them over.
*No re-entry
*Souveniers are pretty pricey. If you're looking to save money, you can have a talk with your child before your trip to let them know that you don't plan on purchasing souvenirs. If you're really looking for a souvenier, you can purchase a toy of their choosing before your trip.
*The food options in Reno were delicious. My hot dog was basic and good, smoothies were fresh and delicious (the tropical was not as sweet as the strawberry), lemonade was freshly squeezed (but could've used a tad bit more sugar), and the pretzel was fresh, soft, and not salty. Be sure to spend a bit more on food at this attraction if you plan on eating here. Alternatively, you can make sure to load up on food at home before visiting.
*Service was excellent!!! Everyone was so kind and a few workers went above and beyond to make sure my kids had a blast.
*There may or may not be parking fees depending on the venue. At the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, I paid $10 for all day parking.
*A couple of the inflatables were not the cleanest and the velcro belts on one of the inflatable activities could be changed as they kept on sliding off, but that didn't stop the kids from having fun.
*Choose the smallest stationary dino to ride if you want the most action. The other bigger ones only move their heads.
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A kind worker that made my son's ride so fun.
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Conclusion
Me and my family had the greatest time at this event and really enjoyed the variety of activities and experiences offered.
We are happy to have this event in town and highly recommend it for families with smaller children.
The kids will always remember the time you took them to see the dinosaurs.
***Information subject to change. Please check in with Jurassic Quest for the latest updates. All opinions are my own.
Categorized under "Annual Events"
