Dinosaurs at the Bishop Museum

The Bishop Museum is currently hosting the traveling exhibit Dinosaurs Unearthed: Feathered Discoveries.  This has been at the museum since March and we finally got a chance to see it last week.

The main features of the exhibit are animatronic dinosaurs that move and make noise.  I had heard these scare a lot of kids so I did my best to prep mine ahead of time.  I told them the dinosaurs moved and made noise but were pretend and couldn't walk or get them.

There's a big dinosaur in the parking lot and a couple more outside in front of the exhibit hall which gave the kids a chance to see and get used to them in broad daylight.

The exhibit itself is more dimly lit which gives it a slightly eerie feel.  None of the kids in our group were overly scared by the dinosaurs, although some were more comfortable around them than others.  There was one little dinosaur that surprised the kids by screeching and moving when they weren't expecting it and they all jumped back from the rope in unison, but thankfully their leap was followed by laughter and not tears.

In addition to the animatronic dinosaurs there are skeletons on display, some small interactive information stations where you can learn more about the dinosaurs and a table where young explorers can unearth dinosaur bones.  There's also a hands-on fossil table.  Both of the hands-on exhibits were big hits with our group and we spent quite a bit of time at them.

We followed our time with the dinosaurs with a picnic on the museum's Great Lawn and a short visit to their Science Adventure Center before heading home for nap time.

Do it yourself on Oahu
This exhibit will be at the Bishop Museum until September 5 so there is lots of time left for you to take your keiki!
Location:  1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI  96817
Directions:  Why reinvent the wheel?  Click here for directions to the museum from wherever you might be.
Hours:  9am to 5pm Wednesday to Monday (i.e. closed on Tuesdays)  Closed on Christmas
Parking:  Plenty of free parking right in front of the museum.
Facilities:  Restrooms in each building.  Café and gift shop in the entrance building.
Cost:  Admission to the Bishop Museum which includes all permanent and visiting exhibits: Adults $17.95, Seniors (65 and over) $14.95, Children ages 4-12 $14.95, Children 3 and under are free.  They have reduced rates for kama'aina and military visitors with proper identification.  To save money, consider purchasing a membership (they are several levels available) or be on the lookout for free admission days - they have a couple a year and I try to post them on the Weekend Events page when they occur.
Other:  Since they have a café there I didn't know if they allowed outside food.  I asked a security guard if I could take a small cooler in for a picnic lunch.  He said that was no problem and that's what we did!
More info:  Bishop Museum Exhibitions
Also on Oahu Mom:  Bishop Museum's Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center