SCHENECTADY – Although they’re extinct, dinosaurs remain relevant in pop culture through the “Jurassic Park” film series and as prominent fixtures in museums such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Coming soon to Schenectady, dinosaurs will take center stage inside Armory Studios.
Opening Thursday, March 7, is “Dinos Alive” with more than 80 life-sized dinosaur reproductions on view for the first time at the Schenectady venue. The opening will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and ticket prices start at $16.90 for the all ages experience. The exhibit will be ongoing.
According to Tiffany Albert Scaringe, director of special events and exhibition of The Immersive Experiences and Exhibition Hub, visitors will return to a period millions of years ago when the planet was ruled by giant reptiles and come face-to-face with the fearsome and spectacular dinosaurs that dominated the animal world for 140 million years.
Visitors will interact with the life-sized moving animatronics of the large specimens including the Velociraptor, Gorgosaurus, Suchomimus, Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, and the T-Rex while learning about the creatures in a creative environment.
Guests can dive into the seas and interact with the Jurassic sea giants inside a unique virtual aquarium inside the immersive room. For example, if a visitor touches a virtual sea creature, it will swim to them in the reactive and interactive experience.
Visitors can also take part in a VR experience, be involved in both a virtual dino race and a dino ride inside the exhibit, learn about the time periods in which the dinosaurs were in existence, and become a paleontologist and pretend to dig for bones.
The exhibit will include birthday parties and World Autism Awareness Day, held Tuesday, April 2, for a sensory-friendly experience for individuals with autism and other special needs. Saturday, April 13, the exhibit will host its first “Mighty Dinos Movement Day” with certified Yoga/Movement instructor, Tommie Burch.
Future activities to be held at a later date include a “Dinos After Dark,” where adults can party like cavemen with live music, body paint artists, dino-themed cocktails, costume and glow events.
“Dinos Alive” is produced by both Exhibition Hub Entertainment and Fever in partnership with Secret Albany. Interested patrons who wish to purchase tickets and wish to book a party, event, or a school field trip can email Tiffany at [email protected] as well as www.dinosaliveexhibit.com.
Scaringe said there is no better building than the Armory to experience the mammoth creatures.
Exhibition Hub Entertainment has hosted other events at the armory, including the recent Claude Monet immersive experience and one featuring Van Gogh.
The Van Gogh exhibit brought in more than 500,000 patrons from all over the Northeast in its duration, and brought a resurgence of local tourism into the City of Schenectady.
“There are many types of events in the art/music/entertainment world coming to the Capital District and Saratoga Springs, but I think Schenectady often gets overlooked as a location for these events, aside from Proctors Theatre.”
Scaringe said. “Not only is the Armory a breathtaking venue to house our exhibits but the City of Schenectady has steadily been rebuilding and has so much to offer tourists, from Rivers Casino to shopping on Jay Street to the wonderful restaurants and local breweries. It’s really made a return to the exciting eclectic city the “Electric City” once was! It’s great to be a part of that.”
To learn more about the exhibit go to armorystudiosny.com/eventsevents
