The Naples Botanical Garden is famous for its plants and flowers that come from all over the world. Additionally, there are pavilions and man-made ponds that add the aesthetics of the place and accentuate the flowers and trees in that 170 acre garden. However, the lush vegetation is not the only thing that evokes awe in this already pleasant garden. The visitors are in for a surprise to find out that there are dinosaurs that can be found in the garden. But not to worry, because the dinosaurs are not out to eat you in Jurassic Park fashion, instead these fearsome lizards are just really awesome animatronics.
The dinosaur collection in The Naples Botanical Garden features eye-popping animatronics that were given attention to the precise detail which makes them look very life-like. Volunteers and the staff from the garden even installed plants and ferns around the area where the dinosaurs are that are reminiscent of the plant life in pre-historic times. In this exhibit, the kids can learn not only about the dinosaurs but also of the plants during the time these ferocious reptiles roamed around the face of the planet. The dinosaurs even were made according to their actual size. So in the exhibit you will get to see a Tyrannosaurus Rex that stands up to 40 feet – yes, it actually moves by standing up on its hind legs. There’s even a 15-foot tall Quetzalcoatlus, a bird like predator that can be seen looking after its nest, same with the Amargasaurus which can be seen protecting her babies. There’s also an Utahraptor that’s 8 feet tall that hisses with its talons that seem ready to strike any naughty kid who doesn’t want to behave themselves. In the Scott Florida section of the Naples Botanical Garden there’s a 6 foot tall Citipati that looks like a cross between raptor and a gigantic chicken. The robotic dinosaurs are so lifelike that they can move around their limbs and neck and can even go beyond that with one dinosaur, the Dilophosaurus, being able to shoot water from its mouth.
The great part about this dinosaur exhibit is that they’re not only for the eyes; they’ve got a couple of hands –on activities too. Small kids can climb on while parents can take pictures of the Pachyrhinosaurus that’s on display. The dinosaur displays blend perfectly well with the garden because all you see are palm trees everywhere. So you can explore and walk around other parts of the garden and it would seem that they are integrated with the dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaurs offer a clear glimpse to our past and they seem to be back from the dead judging on how accurate they look compared to the real thing.
For more information about events like these, always refer to our website and check out the Tourist Guide Section for all the upcoming events around the region. Also, don’t forget to listen to our podcast the Divine Naples Daily together with Rich and Matt and have a great morning while they talk about the latest happenings in and around the Paradise Coast.
