New Dinosaur Exhibit Will Transform Nashville Zoo Into A Jurassic Park

A new exhibit arriving at the Nashville Zoo this month will transport visitors back millions of years to see how different the world once appeared. Or, at least, it will look that way thanks to all of the dinosaurs.

The Nashville Zoo will host the DinoTrek exhibit from March 11 through the end of July, showcasing life-size animatronic dinosaurs so realistic it will be like you stepped into a scene from Jurassic Park (well... the first half anyway). This marks the first time the exhibit has come to Music City since 2014, News Channel 5 reports.

A hidden wooden trail will take guests on a path back to the prehistoric era where they can see 20 different species towering high above at 25 feet tall. There will even be a spot where kids can practice their own excavation skills in the fossil sandpit.

"When you walk in front of these things, all of a sudden, you feel like an 8-year-old again," said Roger Torbet, director of education for the Nashville Zoo. "There's just that awe and wonder that you experience, it's amazing. It's a winding pathway with a raised platform that goes through the woods and it ends with a swinging bridge. The T-Rex... is going to be so loud that the bridge will vibrate. So it's going to be intense."

Torbet said he has been to similar exhibits, but the one opening in Nashville is unlike any other.

"I think this is an amazing setting," he said. "I've been to several zoos that hosted this dinosaur exhibit and this is by far one of the most amazing settings because it's out in the woods, no other animals around, you're immersed into the experience for the Nashville Zoo."

Tickets for DinoTrek cost an additional $4 in conjunction with the entrance fee at the zoo. They can be purchased either at the gate or at the dinosaur area. For more information on DinoTrek Nashville, visit the zoo's website.