By Kaylee Johnson
Journal & Press
Recently, we had the pleasure of attending the Dinosaurs in Motion press event at Universal Preservation Hall in Downtown Saratoga Springs, located in the center of all of the action. As the name suggests, the exhibit is centered around dinosaurs, fossils and all things interactive. Upon entry, I quickly noticed how child-friendly the space is. While the outside of the building may confuse guests, as it is located in an old church, the space has been converted elegantly, and it is large enough to hold many families. As the dog days of summer approach, parents are looking for local activities to do with little ones that won’t break the bank. Dinosaurs in Motion is the perfect educational day trip experience for dinosaur lovers and parents alike!
As an elementary school teacher, I love seeing community events geared towards families that offer educational opportunities and hands-on learning! All of the stations at the Dinosaurs in Motion exhibit have buttons to press, levers to pull, fact sheets to read and paleontology videos to watch. While field trips might not be an option in the fall, as schools are slowly returning back to a state of normalcy after the pandemic shutdown, it would be a wonderful place to take classes for a science project!
While I may not be a child, there is still a lot of grandeur and wonder in seeing large scale dinosaur replicas made from mostly recycled materials. There is also an artistic element to them, as there are many fine details on these replicas that make them so stunning to look at. For the children, the appeal of the exhibit is surely in the novelty of seeing dinosaurs, but for the parents, the art and labor behind putting together such eye-catching pieces can surely be appreciated.
In total, there are fourteen full size dinosaur sculptures in the exhibit, and one was too big for the Universal Preservation Hall, so they moved it to the Crossgates Mall in Albany. As stated in the press release, “The exhibition weaves the science, art and innovation themes throughout and touches on each of these educational topics at each sculpture.”
There are two stories of dinosaurs, both of them offering games and activities for children. The second story even has a gift shop with many fun items and dinosaur stuffed animals.
As the locals know, Saratoga Springs has a lot of steeply priced events and activities for families during the summertime, as tourists rule the area. Luckily, this exhibit seems like it is geared toward people in the community who are looking for a wholesome way to spend time with their children. Children under three years old are free, normal child fare is $15 and adult fare $25.
You can visit the exhibit in Downtown Saratoga anytime until October 17th. While it may only take you an hour or so to walk through Dinosaurs in Motion, it is such a great experience for young children and will ignite their curiosity. Plus, it is centrally located in a wonderful summer city, with lots to do. You can make an entire day of it! It is also an excellent way to indulge in both STEM and the fine arts, in a way that will entertain all age groups.
Please keep in mind that there is limited parking available at the Universal Preservation Hall, but there are many free parking garages nearby with plenty of spots available.
Arguably, our neck of the woods does not have enough traveling exhibits, installations and museums, so it is also exciting when one comes to town, and it is family friendly. Hopefully, by supporting this one we can encourage other educational opportunities for our youth in the area.
Kaylee Johnson is a resident of Greenwich, NY, and an elementary school teacher, earning her master’s at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y.
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