Take A Cross Country Road Trip (with Dinosaurs)… Without Leaving Kansas City!

This post is sponsored by Union Station. Check out their new exhibit, Dinosaur Road Trip – a vacation across the U.S. without leaving KC!

Past summers for us have always included a fun trip to look forward to and weekly adventures at attractions all around Kansas City. This summer has been different in that a lot of our favorite places have been closed or limited attendance. And, there is no vacation planned.

We have spent many of our days at our pool (at least that’s open!) and probably definitely way too much screen time. Thankfully, Union Station, one of our favorite family-friendly attractions, has come to our rescue just in time! With plenty of COVID-19 precautions put into place, (limited reservations, social distancing signs throughout and sanitizer stations just to name a few), your family can finally do something fun and educational indoors.

Dinosaur Road Trip is now open on the lower level of Union Station in the Bank of America Gallery. This fun, all ages exhibit walks you through some of America’s favorite landmarks along Route 66 from Seattle to New York. Throw in a couple dozen life-size animatronic dinosaurs that called North America home and you’ve got yourself a crowd-pleasing way to spend a couple hours!

Dinosaur Road Trip, Union StationYou’ll start on the West Coast and see the famous Hollywood sign, TCL Chinese Theatre, along with an Allosaurus on the Las Vegas strip and a great photo op by the Grand Canyon.

Next, you’ll stop in the Midwest and be amazed at the massiveness of the Supersaurus larger than the St. Louis Arch. Make a pitstop at the Dino Lab for an educational demo on dinosaurs and their fossils from a Science City expert.

Dinosaur Road Trip, Union Station

Hit the road again and head down south to see Graceland, the Home of Elvis Presley with a Triceratops and Stegosaurs nearby. Your last stop on this adventure is of course a larger than life roaring T-Rex in downtown New York, complete with a hot dog cart and videos of busy Times Square in the background. Don’t forget to spot some famous roadside attractions along the way such as the world’s largest teapot, baseball bat, donut and more!

Dinosaur Road Trip, Union StationIf you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this summer without leaving KC, head to Union Station for Dinosaur Road Trip. You will feel like you went on a quick trip around the country and your dino-loving kids will be amazed at the life-like dinosaurs throughout. There’s also plenty of spots for great pictures, so you can fill that photo book up and pretend you went everywhere the summer of 2020!

Mom Tips 

• Order tickets online or scan the QR code for contactless payment.
• Save $2 on tickets by going in July (prices go up to $12 in August for nonmembers). Attraction will be open through the end of 2020.
• Park in the Union Station garage on the bottom level and head across the crosswalk into the building and down to level C for easy access!
• Brings masks for anyone over the age of 3.
• Open Daily, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4 p.m.).
• Make a day of it! Visit Science City to check out the new Early Learning Exhibits or see Dinosaurs Alive on the Extreme Screen. Make sure to reserve tickets to either online beforehand as there are specific reservation times for both attractions.
• Enjoy treats after with goodies from Parisi Coffee or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, both located in the Grand Hall at Union Station, which is upstairs from the exhibit.

Laura Mulcahy
Laura is wife to Marty, and mom to Michael (11), Joseph (9) and Anna (5). She spends most of her days juggling working from home, shuffling kids to activities and can usually be found cheering on the boys from the baseball stands. She is born and raised in Kansas City, graduated from KU (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!) and has spent most of her career in advertising sales. She loves big Italian family dinners, trying out new restaurants in Kansas City on a rare date night and can never say no to an impromptu dance party with her kids.

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