Jurassic Coliseum

The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum transformed into a prehistoric wonderland for Jurassic Quest over Presidents Day weekend. This immersive adventure gave the community — and visitors from all over the Island as well as New York City — up-close and personal encounters with over 80 lifelike animatronic dinosaurs, bringing the Jurassic period to life in Uniondale.

The magic of Jurassic Quest lies not just in the realism of the exhibits but also in the reactions they evoke, particularly from children, whose eyes light up and jaws drop in amazement.

Divided into periods — Triassic, Jurassic, and early and late Cretaceous — the main exhibit showcases dinosaurs in environments that replicate their habitats. Each one, meticulously created with input from paleontologists, offers an educational experience that goes beyond showcasing an impressive prehistoric creature.

“These dinosaurs were created with the help of paleontologists to make them look realistic,” Jeff Munn, the chief executive officer of Jurassic Quest, an interactive, traveling dinosaur exhibit based in Texas, said. “But this isn’t just about showing good dinosaurs. We’re also educating as well as pushing connection, inspiration and driving fun.”

Virtual tour guides, including Prehistoric Nick, Park Ranger Marty, Safari Sarah and Dino Dustin, offer fun and informative facts about the dinosaurs, creating an engaging learning environment. A self-guided scavenger hunt quiz, The Quest, added an interactive element that rewarded participants with prizes at the end of the exhibit.

The Fossil Experience, featuring real and replicated museum fossils, encouraged younger attending to explore their inner paleontologist and dig for fossils in sandboxes. The Live Raptor Training Experience also allowed guests to interact with a raptor and help with the dinosaur’s training — and earn a “raptor training license.”

Lamel and his son, Lamel Junior, came from Brooklyn to see the exhibit, because the boy loves dinosaurs. “I don’t think he learned anything new today, because he’s so into dinosaurs he already knew most of this,” Lamel said. “But I learned a lot, and my son definitely had a great time seeing the dinosaurs in person. You can tell he was excited.”