Last updated on January 5, 2024 by Shannon
For more information, please visit Outdoor Dinosaur Rides.
As a born and raised Floridian, I’ve visited a whole lot of theme parks in my day. The only one in the entire state that I hadn’t by the time I reached adulthood was surprisingly close to my hometown of Clearwater: Dinosaur World.
My parents and nephew look closely at one of the scenes laid out among the native Floridan fauna. Not only are the dinosaurs fun, but the landscaping is beautiful too.This theme park actually has a few locations across the south, and until I visited with my nephew, I only knew it as the location off of I4 marked by an enormous, life-sized T-Rex visible from the highway.
Now that I’ve visited Dinosaur World Florida, let’s dive into what it’s like, if you should visit, and tips on how to avoid paying full price.
What’s Dinosaur World Like? My nephew—an avowed lover of all things dinosaurs—was completely enthralled with the trip.Dinosaur World is not your average Florida theme park. Located near Tampa, Florida, some have called it a “slice of roadside Americana.” That’s actually about the best description you can muster for it because it’s unlike anything else in the state.
When I drove to Los Angeles and back, I stopped at all sorts of cheesy roadside attractions (Davy Crockett statue and “The Thing,” I’m looking at you!), and Florida’s Dinosaur World is along those same lines.
It’s certainly not an amusement park like nearby Busch Gardens, Disney World, or Universal Studios. And it doesn’t try to be any of those parks.
I asked Little E to creep up on a prey like a T-Rex. My dad pretended to feed Little E to the dinosaur jaws.Dinosaur World was exactly what you would expect from a roadside attraction in Plant City, Florida. It was a relaxing, wholesome experience with just the right amount of Americana kitsch.
Dinosaur World Florida is surprisingly low key; there’s not even a hint of the Disney World mania present there. My family and I mostly had the park to ourselves—no queues or rides. We meandered through the park at our own pace.
It’s a small place, so there was plenty of time to let the kids go slowly and crawl all over some of the dinosaurs. They could pick out what they like and skip along the shady boardwalks until they found a dinosaur scene that struck their fancy. It’s ideal if you want open space and few crowds—you can easily create distance between yourself and other families in the park.
My nephew Little Eric is posing like a T-Rex at Dinosaur World, outside of Tampa, Florida. Unlike the T-Rex, his foe, he was all hugs for the triceratops that we found.We visited Dinosaur World for my five-year-old nephew, Little Eric. It’s my last weekend in town before my round the world trip, and I was spending quality time with my family before I headed out.
So, even though we’ve all lived near Dinosaur World for decades, this was our first visit. You see, Little E was at a stage where he adored all things dinosaur related. It’s his enthusiasm throughout the afternoon that made the trip worth it.
My nephew had a great time looking at the park’s many dinosaur replicas. And like any good five-year-old fan, he knew most of the dinos by name. He also regaled us with random dino facts, as well as spot-on dinosaur roars every time we happened across a T-Rex.
The kiddos can dig for fossils and excavate as well. They are allowed to pick out some fossils and take them home!The T-Rex is his favorite and in the pic you can see that he is pretending to creep up on his prey just like he imagines a T-Rex might.
Some of the replicas surprised me. At one point, we walked past a scene of carnivorous dinosaurs feasting on one of the slow-running guys. They had decked out the scene with fake intestines and blood—even my die-hard fan of a nephew was a bit taken aback by the gory details.
Don’t forget to bring a safe bug repellent or you and your kids will get some bites—it is Florida after all. I use Off! Botanicals for me and my toddler son.
What Can You Expect at Dinosaur World Florida?Dinosaur World is an outdoor museum located in Plant City, Florida, which is about a 30-minute drive east of Tampa. At Dinosaur World, visitors can see more than 200 life-sized dinosaur replicas, as well as exhibits on paleontology, geology, and other science-related topics.
Some of the attractions at Dinosaur World include:
In addition to the exhibits and attractions, Dinosaur World also has two playgrounds—one for younger kids and one older kids will enjoy—and a picnic area where you can (and should!) take a break and have a snack.
Review: Should You Visit Dinosaur World? Look at the smile on that little face. If you ask my five-year-old nephew, Dinosaur World was a must visit.For other families in the area pondering a visit, if you need to fill an afternoon then it’s worth it. Dinosaur World is a cute park with huge shade trees, a completely family vibe, and tons of the much-promised dinos. The park is beautifully landscaped too— my dad was impressed by the variety of well-marked native Florida plants.
If you’re expecting a lot of animatronics, then this is a pass—there are only a few and they are not particularly well done. The real experience here is seeing each dinosaur in its surrounding habitat. Any kid older than three who loves dinosaurs will also love being read the dinosaur facts placard at each scene.
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Even though most of the scenes are for looking at only, there are spaces for the kids to interact with the replicas and burn off some energy.As cute as it is though, two hours is about all you need to wander through. Even Little Eric—with his deep love and fascination with dinosaurs knowing few bounds—was antsy by the time we left.
So yes, Dinosaur World is worth a visit, but this is not a Florida theme park where you pack a bag and plan to be gone for 12+ hours. If you’re road-tripping the state, or making the trek between Tampa and Orlando, then this is a good way to break up the drive for your kids.
If you’re on the fence about visiting, this is a grade-school presentation that actually does a terrific job showing each aspect of the park so you can assess if it’s worth visiting for you—including if it’s accessible for your autistic child.
More than anything, it was nice to hang out with my parents for the day and get in some face time since they work a lot.
How to Visit Florida’s Dinosaur World Where is Dinosaur World Located?It’s located just north of Tampa, Florida in Plant City. The Dinosaur world exit is well marked from I4 with a giant (and I do me huge) dinosaur at exit 17.
It’s located about 20 minutes from downtown Tampa, or ~45 minutes from the Orlando theme parks.
It’s probably easiest just to map it from your smartphone.
The park is open year-round and it’s very shady. This means it’s nice to visit year-round too, even in the hottest months there are breezy areas where you can eat a picnic lunch and enjoy.
Pro Tip for TravelersPick up a copy of Oddball Florida: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places; this guidebook is a true gem for anyone road-tripping the state in search of neat attractions and off-the-beaten path things to do.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dinosaur World How long does it take to walk through Dinosaur World in Florida?It takes about an 1.5 hours to walk through Dinosaur World and do nothing else. You should reserve 2-3 hours in the park if you’re doing the excavation to dig for fossils, however. And if you bring a cooler (which is allowed!), you can sit under the trees and enjoy lunch with the dinosaurs.
How much does it cost to go to Dinosaur World in plant city Florida?Check the website for the latest prices—and it’s always cheaper to buy online ahead of time. Look for a coupon in the Entertainment Book if you’re a local. And locals may also receive a reciprocal discount if they have annual passes to a list of other local museums, zoos, and parks.
Otherwise, check the kiosks in your hotel for a brochure and coupon—they usually have several deals floating around, so you likely won’t have to pay full-price if you put a bit of effort into researching it ahead of time.
As of early 2024, Dinosaur World costs:
Adult: $26.82 (with excavation: $42.95)
Senior: $24.67
Child: $21.45 (with excavation: $37.57)
Tickets for the 15-minute fossil dig cost $3 extra per child.
You’ll find over 200 life size dinosaurs at Dinosaur World Florida, and since it’s a self-guided outdoor museum, you and your kids can spend as long as you want with each one. There are even ones they can crawl on and in the mouth of so they can have an interactive, good time.
Can you bring a dog to Dinosaur World?Yes! Dinosaur World in Plant City is dog friendly. Well behaved, leash-trained dogs are welcome in the park. The park even offers water stations. “Dogs are allowed everywhere except the indoor museum with the animatronics,” according to the website.
Can you bring food into Dinosaur World.Yes, food is allowed and encouraged at Dinosaur World in Plant City. You can bring a cooler with cold drinks and a picnic lunch to enjoy under the shady trees. Since there is no food service on site, at least pack some cold drinks for you and the kids. (Note that vending machines in the park offer cold drinks.)
What age is suitable to visit Dinosaur World?Children of all ages are welcome, and the large shady boardwalks mean you can easily push a stroller through the park. There are even playgrounds suitable for kids of varying ages. There are some potentially scary scenes for the youngest—dinosaurs attacking prey in a still-life scene among the plants—so only you know if your child can handle that. My five-year-old nephew was all about that extra bit of realism.
What a massive disappointment! Ten/twelve years or so ago I took my two older children on this ride and it was actually pretty fun then; it has not aged well. It looks as if they have done no maintenance or improvements since then. It is so dark inside that you can hardly see anything; there aren't even any good jump scares because the animatronics are so slow and outdated. Total waste of time and money; I wish I had my money back for this one to spend on something that is actually fun. I really don't like writing negative reviews but I feel very strongly that this attraction is taking advantage of families by their very attention getting facade and not delivering a quality attraction for the money. Poor form.
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