TAMPA, Fla. — This weekend dozens of interactive, animatronic, pre-historic creatures will be stomping, clawing and biting their way through the Florida State Fair Grounds.
It’s all part of Jurassic Quest, the largest dinosaur show in North America.
“Watch little kids walk through that gate, they see their first dinosaur, their eyes just go wide, their jaws drop, and you’re just in a positive mood,” said Park Ranger Marty Hoffman.
Hoffman has traveled the country with Jurassic Quest, bridging the gap from fossils to ferocious, but Tampa is a special destination because it’s his home town.
“Since I’ve been itty bitty I have definitely been a Dino nerd. Triceratops has always been my favorite dinosaur, and everybody loves T-Rex, and I’m like, ‘well your favorite dinosaur ate my favorite dinosaur so we have a problem,’” said Hoffman.
From their toes to their teeth, Jurassic Quest pays attention to every detail.
“Most of these are accurate size, very close to it, we work with different paleontologists,” said Hoffman.
Whether going for a ride on the back of a Tyrannosaurus or measuring yourself to a Megladon’s mouth, this quest will excite and educate fans of all ages.
“We pride ourselves in edu-tainment, and I always consider dinosaurs to be a gateway to science, if you are learning about these little guys you’re all of a sudden learning about different sciences like biology and astronomy,” said Hoffman.
However, it’s usually the baby Dinos that steal the show and people’s hearts. There’s even a special 411 phone number visitors can call to get direct answers to their most pressing questions.
“There are so many different dinosaur fans of so many different ages and I’m the person who can answer all their questions so it's so nice to meet the people and interact with them,” said Hoffman.
Jurassic Quest runs July 22-24. For more information, go to jurassicquest.com.
