Dino Kingdom: A Roarsome Prehistoric Adventure at Wythenshawe Park, Manchester
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise that as a sculpture trail nut, who delights in nothing more than encountering art in the great outdoors, I would also be intrigued by a trail of 3D animatronic dinosaurs through a park in Manchester. Local venue (tick), the great outdoors (tick), cool moving sculptures with sound effects (tick)… Yep, that’s right up my street! Throw in fun rides, excellent street food and a tub of candy floss and what’s not to like? Dino Kingdom at Wythenshawe Park definitely promised to be a roarsome day out!
Be prepared for the 15-minute walk from the car park to the festival entrance, but once you’re in, excitement intensifies as the dinosaurs come into view. The Dino Kingdom gates kinda remind me of Jurassic Park’s tall gates, though hopefully the dinos beyond here would be better behaved.
If you haven’t already, download the app as when you scan the QR code at each dinosaur, it gives you tonnes of information about the species.
As I wove my way around the snaking trail of dinos, I was impressed by the amount of space between everything. Although the day was sold out (to what I’m sure was a reduced Covid audience), I never felt crowded. There was a very relaxed vibe around the park and it was still incredibly easy to keep distance from people, with the exception of over-excited children with no sense of spatial awareness of course.
Also, no matter how much you tell children not to touch the dinosaurs, with signs at every installation and surrounded by rope barriers, very few paid attention. The ropes may as well have been invisible. I understand the need for them, but I think I’d struggle to tell a child they couldn’t touch and stand right next to their fave dinosaur for a photo.
I was so surprised at just how educational Dino Kingdom is. The app really is fantastic, with just enough information to fascinate, but not too much as to overwhelm.
Most of the dinosaur names I have never come across. Back when I was at school there were the 7 staples: T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, Pterodactyl and Brontosaurus. But that was about it. I’m sure they’ve invented all these others in the last 30 years. Ankylosaurus, Huayangosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Baryonyx, Hadrosaurs, Ruyangosaurus… Just some of the ones I’d never heard of, but consider me completely fascinated now.
It was great to read what each dinosaur name translates into. I never knew ‘saurus’ meant lizard for starters. Seems pretty obvious when you think about it. Palaeontologists always name new species of dinosaur in Greek and derived names based on descriptive physical and behavioural characteristics. Triceratops translates as Three Horned Face so literally describes the dinosaur’s most obvious features. Ankylosaurus means fused lizard, named this way due to its bones being fused together making its appearance very rugged.
Whether you know a little or a lot about dinosaurs, I’m sure you’ll still take a lot away from the app. It amused me to learn that the Dilophosaurus did not actually spit poison and have a frill around its neck like portrayed in the Jurassic Park film. Artistic license has a lot to answer for!
While walking around, you can also take part in a dino egg hunt. 5 virtual eggs are hidden amongst the dinosaurs. Find them and each egg can be used to gain discount at one of the concessions stands or Dino Kingdom activities, such as sand excavating and face painting.
Food stands were located half way around the dino trail and included Greek, Chinese and German cuisines as well as a hot roast carvery, a smoke house grill and a bar. The food looked and smelled excellent, but having already eaten ahead of arriving, I was too full to participate. Also, I was holding out for ice cream, which I eventually discovered was near the exit.
In fact, all dessert stands and coffee bars were located at the end of the event next to the fun fair, which included all the typical carnival ride favourites. There was even a ‘hook-a-duck’ stand.
The Nutella donuts from The Donut Hut were excellent, as was the whippy ice cream and some disgustingly coloured E-numbered-tastic slushie from The Sweet Factory. I couldn’t resist grabbing a tub of candy floss as I was leaving to take to the cinema that evening.
The whole event was so well laid out – half the dinosaurs, interspersed by activities and mini film shows. Then the essential food stands and watering hole half way round, followed by more dinosaurs, including the very huge centrally placed T-Rex. Unfortunately, this guy didn’t move, but there is a smaller T-Rex that does near the end of the trail and his eyes really bore into you, so much so, I shivered a little.
You get to walk through a huge skeleton structure towards the beckoning screams from the fun fair and get the chance to stuff your face with sweet treats before exiting through the clutches of some more fantastical dragon-like beasts. All that was missing were some bursts of fire!
There is a one-way walking route back to the car park, so that the flows of visitors don’t constantly meet. There is loads more to see and do in Wythenshawe Park, so you can always extend your day out into other activities. I took a wander around the hall gardens which is a very peaceful spot. I could just imagine sitting down to read a book here, not a care in the world.
Dino Kingdom 2021 Dates
Dino Kingdom is on in Manchester till the 15th August and you can get your tickets here. It returns to a new venue in Nottinghamshire in October. Thoresby Park gets to host this prehistoric extravaganza from the 15th – 31st October (though closed on the 17th for a private function).
Opening times are from 10am – 7pm, with entry times being on the hour. Your entry time gives you access to Dino Kingdom for a 3-hour window.
Admission prices starts at £15.00 – adult / £13.00 – child (online prices)
Parking Ticket: £3.00
Parking for Dino Kingdom
This is purely a comment on Wythenshawe Park’s car parking situation:
One thing to be aware of if you are visiting on a later time slot is change over time in the car park can be crazy as all vehicles enter and exit through the same single-track entrance. As a result, it is traffic light controlled, leading to huge queues to get in.
The car parking was very poorly managed in my opinion. Cars entering had to join the same lines of cars leaving to get to a parking space, so it just became completely clogged up. I joined the queue outside the park at 3.50, for the 4pm slot and I did not get my car parked in a space till 4.40, half an hour after I had actually entered the car park. Add in the 15-minute walk to the festival entrance and I didn’t get in till nearly 5pm. I was not impressed.
If you were bringing children and wanted to take part in all the activities and use the carnival rides, you would not have had enough time with just 2 hours. I did visit on the first weekend however, so hopefully the car parking team improved their parking management as days progressed.
I’m just glad the event itself was brilliant as it made up for the first hour’s rigmarole just getting in!
Get In Touch!
Have you been to Dino Kingdom yet? If so, what did you think? And did you recognise all these dinosaurs, or were you just as clueless as me? Drop me a line in the comments below and let me know your thoughts… I’ll look forward to hearing from you!
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Further Adventures in the North West
You may like to check out other places I’ve visited in North West England. Here’s just a few to get you started…
For a great fun-filled activity in Manchester, look no further than Junkyard Golf – it’s a really cool indoor adventure golf course!
The Cheshire Steam Fair is always a fab day out, as is the Cheshire Ice Cream Farm.
My latest trips to Dunham Massey and Speke Hall during Covid…
Walks at Rivington Pike, Pennington Flash, Risley Moss Nature Reserve and Clockface Country Park…
Or maybe you like seeing something a little different on your days out. Check out the Iron Men at Crosby Beach and the huge Dream sculpture at Sutton Manor Woodlands…
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Lois Cordelia | 5th Aug 21
Epic! Absolutely loved this, Tilly! One of my favourite themes from early childhood onwards. I know someone who wolud love this… I’ll forward it on x x x
Tilly Jaye Horseman | 6th Aug 21
Thanks Lois, Dino’s are so so popular, it’s brilliant to see events like this take place! Really enjoyed it! xx