An Aweasome Dinosaur Exhibit at the Rochester NY Museum and Science Center

The Rochester (NY) Museum and Science Center has a serious dinosaur problem! Seriously fun that is! The Museum's "Colossal Dinosaurs" exhibit runs until 1 May 2011 and features an astonishing array of animatronic dinosaurs that might even give the folks at Disney World a run for their money.

You can't go wrong with dinosaurs! Having just visited the museum I can tell you that it's not just children who are fascinated by dinosaurs. I saw plenty of adults (myself included) enjoying the Colossal Dinosaurs exhibit as well. The Colossal Dinosaurs exhibit is interactive in the best sense of the word: The animatronic robosaurs are the icing on the cake but that's just the beginning: the exhibit is broken down into sections that explain and explore dinosaur h abitats, behavior, adaptation and evolution. Along the way visitors can dig for fossils, direct their own dinosaur puppet show, create dinosaur etchings and even get inside a dinosaur nest.

As soon as you walk in the front door you're greeted by the king of dinosaurs - Mr. Tyrannosaurus Rex himself. In short order you'll thrill to T-Rex' running buddies: the Protoceratops, Chasmosaurus, Apatosaurus (reminds me of smaller version of a brontosaurus), Stegosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus (strange looking duck-billed dinosaur), and the Maiasaura and last but not leasta Pteranodon. My knowledge of dinosaurs doesn't go a lot deeper than King Kong (the original not the remake) so it was quite fascinating to view these different creatures up close in all their animatronic splendor.

So realistic it'll give you goose bumps

These dinosaurs roar and blink and breathe, but each robot model is really a metal skeleton supported by a system of computer-operated hydraulics and air cylinders. By changing the computer program, the dinosaur can be made to move in a different pattern. The Colossal Dinosaurs exhibit houses a demo model of the Apatosaurusin all it's mechanical glory minus skin, claws and teeth and it's almost as interesting as the actual fully equipped animatronic models.

The metal skeleton of each dinosaur is padded with foam to give the creature its shape. The foam is then covered with a special resin-based skin that is fitted over this skeleton. Artists then take over with a variety of different dyes and pigments that are applied to the skin to give it realistic color. Your basic Hollywood special effects as far as I can tell. Seams in the skin are closed with zippers and velcro. The teeth - which look like they could give the shark in Jaws run for its money are really nothing more than plastic.

Not just about dinosaurs

What's really cool about the Rochester Museum and Science Center is that the Colossal Dinosaurs exhibit is integrated with the rest of the museums on-going displays which cover the earth, oceans and deep space. Three floors of fun and excitement including a gift shop and restaurant. And as if that wasn't enough, the Museum is part of a much larger complex that includes the historic Gannet Building, Cunningham House and Herb Gardens.

The Rochester Museum and Science Center is located at 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607-2177. Check out the website or give them a call (585) 271-1880 and tell them Gary sent you.