Dinos Roar Into Werribee Open Range Zoo Until July 12

Walking the River Walk at Werribee Open Range Zoo, visitor Priti Jain had the feeling she was no longer in Melbourne. “Yes they were scary,” she said. “It’s said that it’s as close as getting to a Dinosaur in today’s world and indeed I felt as if I’m in a Jurassic Park with the kind of landscape and wildlife I experienced.”

That sense of stepping onto Isla Nublar has become a daily occurrence since Dinos at the Zoo opened on 18 April. The seasonal trail, which runs every day from 9am to 4pm until 12 July, has filled Werribee’s 225-hectare savannah with 10 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs along the River Walk, and it is free with standard zoo admission.

The dinosaurs include Baryonyx, Diabloceratops, Dilophosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Megalosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Rugops, Stegosaurus, Suchomimus and Tyrannosaurus. They stir from their “Dino Doze” just after 10am, when motion sensors trigger roars, spits and head movements.

For parents of sensory-sensitive children, that first quiet hour from 9am is a genuine asset. The creatures sit silent before activation, letting visitors study the enormous animatronics up close without the sudden noise. Later in the day there is a dino dig pit, an explorer tent and a fairy play zone.

Social platforms tell the story. On X, Reddit and TripAdvisor, families describe a scary-but-thrilling experience with Jurassic park vibes, praising the natural backdrop and the way the dinosaurs blend into the bush. Some mention jump scares from the motion sensors, particularly with the spitting Dilophosaurus.

The real trick, however, is the way the trail weaves into the zoo’s existing safari experience. After the dinosaurs, visitors can board free safari buses that cross the open-range plains where giraffes, rhinos and zebras roam. The buses run frequently on weekends and school holidays until 3:40pm, and mornings bring peak activity from the real animals too. That combination of prehistoric beasts and African wildlife is not something you will find at an indoor dinosaur exhibition.

Werribee Open Range Zoo is 35 kilometres west of the CBD, a straight freeway drive with free parking on site. On busy school holiday days, parking attendants direct traffic to avoid the circling that frustrated some visitors earlier in the season. If you are using public transport, take the Werribee Line train to Werribee Station then bus route 439. The zoo recommends checking the PTV Journey Planner before you leave.

The event runs only until 12 July, which makes the mid-year school holidays the final chance to catch it. Entry for children under 15 is free on weekends and during Victorian school holidays, while standard adult admission starts at $54.50. Tickets booked online ahead of weekends and holidays will save you from sold-out time slots at the gate.

If you make a day of it, Werribee Park Mansion and the Victoria State Rose Garden sit barely 1.1 miles away, with more than 5,000 roses in bloom through autumn. The Werribee River Park trails offer picnic spots, and the zoo’s own cafes or nearby Wyndham Harbour can handle the post-dino hunger.