Where to Take Dinosaur Loving Kids in Kansas City

kid in dinosaur costume playing

If your house is filled with the constant roars of raptors, and your little ones are always up for a fossil sighting, then plan on heading to one of these dinosaur attractions in Kansas City devoted to keeping the mystery and wonder of these creatures alive and well. 

Dinosaur Attractions in Kansas City

Science City

Union Station’s Science City is a Kansas City mainstay attraction for local families. It is also a nature and science lover’s dream come true. For dinosaur enthusiasts, an entire section of the site is dedicated to learning about, unearthing and viewing the ancient creatures.

Located on the first floor, the Science City Dig Site displays the fossil remains of mosasaurs, pterosaurs, ferocious Mesozoic fish and other ancient ocean creatures. Children are able to use brushes, shovels and goggles to explore the Dig Site and become a paleontologist for a day.

In the Dinolab, see the cleaning and restoration of “Lyle the Camarasaurus” as fossil bones are pieced together. Ticket holders are able to handle real fossils and observe them under a magnifying lens. Children will be able to identify creatures that once inhabited Kansas and Missouri millions of years ago and observe tools and methods of paleontology. Pretty spectacular!

Prairiefire Museum

The Prairiefire Museum boasts a towering Tyrannosaurus Rex, colossal sea creatures, soaring reptiles from our ancient past, live animal encounters and dinosaur digs. What more could a science and history buff ask for?!

An augmented reality experience is where visitors will find the soaring reptiles and sea creatures. A free exhibit at the entrance of the museum, it’s meant to immerse onlookers into the world of dinosaurs while also having a little fun avoiding their stomps and stares. Learn myth-busting facts about T. Rex, Velociraptor and even a Kansas Pteranodon.

The Kansas City Natural History exhibit within the museum takes dinosaur enthusiasts back three hundred million years ago to see the fascinating fossil remains when Kansas City’s home was on the paleoequator. This engaging exhibit brings to life the oceans, rain forests, palm trees, giant ferns, mastodons, mammoths and grizzly-sized sloths that populated the area millions of summers ago. It is free to the public. 

A virtual reality experience is open to those ages 10 and up, where you will be transported to Jurassic World and be able to roam amongst the creatures. Only open on weekends. 

The Discovery Room is a ticketed entry where kids explore a world of authentic hands-on science and interactive learning. Plan to spend at least a few hours playing, digging and studying all of the cool things within the room. 

The Discovery Room at Prairie Fire Museum

Prehistoric Putt

An indoor miniature golf destination, Prehistoric Putt, is all about fun with dinosaurs. This location features three separate courses. The course includes an 11 foot tall loop, zip line, pinball, ball maze race, halfpipe, warped wall, batting cage, foosball, ski-ball, plinko and basketball. Inclusive for all ages, Prehistoric Putt is a great destination for any dinosaur admirer. 

KU Natural History Museum

The KU Natural History Museum, in historic Dyche Hall, features a famous Panorama, a living Paleo Garden, Kansas wildlife exhibits, interactive displays, and of course, fossils! Suggested donation of $7 for adults and $4 for children helps to support the museum and its programs. 

Independence Center

Independence Center has a newly opened Jurassic Giants exhibit and play area, where an animatronic T-Rex greets visitors. The exhibit and play area is meant to delight little ones and provide a safe, indoor area to explore, run and be delighted.

Field Station in Derby, Kansas

Looking for a dinosaur road trip destination? The Field Station in Derby, Kansas, is one-of-a-kind. A few minutes south of Wichita, the exhibit features over 40 life-sized, moving and realistic dinosaurs! It also includes 10 acres of walking trails featuring dinosaurs from different eras, live shows, games, mazes, and miniature golf. 

Traveling Dinosaur Shows

Shows such as Jurassic Quest and Jurassic World Tour often make stops in Kansas City. Current dates are yet to be published, but keep and eye out or follow on social media for announcements. The shows are perfect for 4 – 8 year-old aficionados.

Ready to see the 2022 Jurassic World Tour at T-Mobile Center.

Wishing all your dinosaur admirers a roaring good time exploring all of these Kansas City sites honoring our world’s history and scientific discoveries!

Kristin Ruthstrom
Kristin is a Lee’s Summit suburb transplant, after living in the Brookside and Plaza areas for over eight years. Raising three young boys with her husband, Jake, has helped her to embrace the messy, wild side of life where love is expressed in bear hugs and body slams. Professionally, she can be found teaching classes as an adjunct professor in the areas of Business, Marketing and PR. She is able to provide her students with applicable, real-life knowledge as she draws from several years working in the corporate sector. “Free time” (ha!, what's that again?) is spent on an occasional date night to favorite local restaurants, reading blogs on everything from home design to politics, riding her sweet beach cruiser bike and thinking of ways to convince her husband to do yet another home improvement project.