Meet the Lizards of Dinosaur Park Near Austin, Texas: A Family Day Trip That's Fun and Educational

In breathtaking beauty of the Central Texas hill country, one can recreate a dinosaur era experience. Travel back in time as you walk among nature trails and encounter twelve life size replicas of the majestic lizards of long ago.

Meet the Dinosaurs

Imagine coming face to face with the life-like statue of 16 foot tall, 40 foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex or the 12 foot tall, 33 foot long Iguanodon, or the 8 foot tall, 28 foot long, horned Triceratops! A total of 12 true to life dinos can be discovered in Dinosaur Park. The smallest you will meet is the 6 foot long, 2 foot tall Velociraptor, which was made famous by the movie, JurassicPark. Other dinos on the trail include the baby Apatosaurus, the Ornithomimus, the Stegoceras not to be confused with the Stegosaurus.

Visitors learn fascinating facts about the dinosaurs they meet. The Coelophysis is the oldest dinosaur known in North America and was a very swift hunter who probably congregated in large herds.

The Iguanodon landed a starring role in the Disney movie, Dinosaur. Its teeth were first discovered in England in the early 1820s but dozens of skeletons were found in a Belgium coal mine in 1878.

The Ornithomimus was first discovered in Colorado in 1889. Resembling an ostrich, its name suggests it looked like a bird.

The Oviraptor was a colorful dinosaur with a stumpy horn like crest on its snout. Paleontologists in Mongolia recently discovered some fossilized Oviraptor eggs.

The Stegosaurus, another colorful lizard, fascinates visitors. It has spiny plates along its back and fearsome spikes on its tail but even more fascinating is the fact that scientists believe its brain was too small to control such a large creature and that it had an 'auxiliary' brain consisting of a bundle of nerves twenty times larger than the brain in its skull, located above its rear legs.

More Fun in DinosaurPark

Besides meeting the fearsome dinosaurs along nature trails, other activities are available to visitors. A fun scavenger hunt feeds a new generation's imagination as children gather clues along the trails. A special area of sand is set aside where kids can unearth treasures and see what it's like to dig for fossils.

There is also a playground, a picnic area, and a DinoStore for browsing. Souvenir hunters can come away with a T Rex T shirt, dinosaur flip flops, a plush dinosaur, posters including the laminated Brachiosaurus & Caratosaurus, or models, games, puzzles, books and DVDs for the kids.

Suggestions for a Better Trip

If you're going any season other than winter, the Texas sun can get mighty hot so take along plenty of water, sunscreen and insect repellant.. Sugary drinks are not advised for this tropical adventue as they attract bees. Closed toed shoes are recommended for hiking.

Dinosaur Park Hours and Location

The park is open weekends to the public and daily for groups with reservation, with the exception of rainy days. It is located between Austin and Bastrop in Cedar Park, Texas off Hwy 71 on Union Chapel Road. Plan a visit to this 'land before time.' It's a great way to spend a day with the family.