by Spencer Bollettieri, freelance writer for Theme Park Magazine
There was a time in New Jersey when the landscape was shaped by prehistoric seas, and herds of duck-billed hadrosaurs wandered along the coasts. Millions of years later, Field Station: Dinosaurs founded its Mesozoic menagerie. Now ten years old, Jersey’s family-friendly dinosaur park is commemorating its anniversary with a celebration fit for dinosaur royalty. Through robotics, puppetry, and fossils, the past, present, and future combine to create an exciting journey for the ages.
Field Station: Dinosaurs
Field Station: Dinosaurs in Leonia, New Jersey, is one of two locations founded by Guy “Guy-nosaur” Gsell. Started in the wake of New York’s Discovery Times Square, Gsell wanted to create a space where kids learn they don’t have to grow up to be scientists; they can be scientists now. Seeking to inspire exploration, education, and a passion for science, Gsell discovered through test marketing that children naturally gravitated towards dinosaurs.
The original park opened in Secaucus, New Jersey, on May 26, 2012. Four years later, Field Station: Dinosaurs moved to Leonia with space for the towering animatronics, animal shows, and interactive exhibits. Scientists, artists, and talented performers were recruited to help Field Station: Dinosaurs prosper as the “Jurassic Park” of New Jersey.
Dinosaur Animatronics and Cast Members
When entering Field Station: Dinosaurs, most guests first notice the towering dinosaur animatronics. With over thirty life-sized specimens representing various species of prehistoric life, explorers are sure to discover something new about paleontology and the people who study it.
In collaboration with the famed paleontologist Jason Schein, the park creates an outdoor educational experience that allows people to embark on a prehistoric safari without fear of being eaten. Visitors can wander beneath battling herbivores, pass pterosaurs as they take flight, and through a velociraptor trap. They can examine real fossils and meet a basking dimetrodon along a shady primeval path.
As impressed as guests might be by the size and design of the animatronics, what steals the show is the passionate performances by the park’s enthusiastic staff. With titles such as “Great Moments of Discovery Theater” and “Alien Rocks,” the park offers catchy songs, interactive lectures, and creative experiences for its audiences. Gsell wrote many of the shows, and long-time alumni Chris Palmieri and Kirk Bixby helped create and puppeteer many of the park’s dino stars.
Dinosaur Songs and Visitor Participation
“Cretaceous” Kira Redzinak is the “troubadour paleontologist” who sings songs that teach kids about dinosaurs and science concepts. But as charming as the cast of Field Station: Dinosaurs’ numerous shows are, their co-stars, twin T-rexes, are what make the audiences gasp and giggle. Starring in their “T-rex Feeding Frenzy” and their new 10th-anniversary celebration “Toddler-Saurus Surprise Party!” audiences interact with the animatronic dinosaurs.
In both demonstrations, visitors participate in experiments to learn how paleontologists deduce dinosaur behavior, such as eating habits. Lucky volunteers from the audience get to play party games with the young rexes, such as blind man’s bluff and bowling. The shows are as educational as they are fun, with charm, interactivity, and a timeless message that every kid is a scientist, distinguishing this park from other theme parks.
For an additional charge, visitors can dig up and identify real fossils in a paleontology lab or make like a dinosaur and take flight on the Jurassic Jump trampoline. They can find several arts and crafts tents or browse paleoart painted by Christopher DiPiazza. For the younger crowd who want to do a little digging, Field Station: Dinosaurs offers a sandbox where they can dust off dinosaur bones.
Passport to Fun and Learning
Field Station: Dinosaurs has a simple, fun, and innovative way to gauge popular attractions, suggest new ones for guests and make the whole experience more active. At the park’s gates, visitors receive a paleontological passport. Every time somebody leaves a show or activity, a staff member stamps it. With enough stamps, they can earn the distinct honor of being a “super paleontologist” by the park. With paper, stamps, and stickers, Field Station: Dinosaurs can tell which kind of attractions visitors enjoy to better personalize their experience by pointing them to other sites of interest without using complicated apps.
Field Station: Dinosaurs is an experience that pays tribute to the mysterious prehistoric past and encourages a brighter future through education. Children ages 3-11 and their families can experience the wonder of “Jurassic Park” while learning about nature and science. A decade strong and still evolving, there’s a lot to celebrate because the age of the dinosaurs isn’t over yet.
Explore More: Videos
Explore More: Resources
- Website: Field Station: Dinosaurs
- Article: No extinction here: Iconic dinosaur display in Bergen County’s Overpeck Park turns 10 (NorthJersey.com)
- Bio: Jason P. Schein (Elevation Science Institute)
Feature image by Michael Golz, courtesy of Field Station: Dinosaurs
About Spencer Bollettieri: As a biologist, journalist, and writer, Spencer Bollettieri has written for sites such as Screen Rant. Although mostly based out of New York, he’s traveled the world in pursuit of new stories.
