When The Great New York State Fair opens it will offer an opportunity for you and your family to go back in time, all the way to the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs roamed the earth! Immersive Productions is bringing its widely popular DINOSAUR EXPEDITION – an interactive, educational experience – to The Fair for all 13 days. Best of all, access will be included in the price of Fair admission!
DINOSAUR EXPEDITION at The Great New York State Fair – featuring more than 60 true-to-life-size, prehistoric, life-like dinosaurs – will roar into the Exposition Center starting August 23, Opening Day of The Fair. The must-see exhibit features dinosaurs that range in size from babies measuring three-feet or “fun-sized” tall to full-grown massive creatures that stand as tall as 35 feet and span as long as 80 feet. Visitors will be able to walk through the indoor experience at their own pace, taking in the wonders of dinosaurs, including the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, and Stegosaurus.
“With moving heads, necks, tails and wings, mouths that open and close, blinking eyes and sounds that mimic breathing movements, these creations have such stunning, advanced animatronic features that visitors will feel like they are really walking among the dinosaurs,” said Sean Hennessey, Interim Fair Director. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with Immersive Productions to enhance The Fair’s family-friendly options by hosting this stunning exhibit, which is sure to be a place where many memories are made this summer.”
While the exhibit has been to cities including Chicago, Dallas, and Las Vegas, this is the first time that Immersive Productions has brought the dinosaurs to a state fair. Typically, in other cities where it visits, attendees pay a minimum of $25 per person to experience the DINOSAUR EXPEDITION.
“It was important for our team at The Fair and the Department of Agriculture and Markets to be able to bring this show at no extra cost to fairgoers so they can enjoy the exhibit with their admission,” said Hennessey. “The Fair is a best in show of all that New York State has to offer and that includes affordable, family-friendly entertainment offerings.”
“We were really excited to be able to introduce fairgoers in New York State to our prehistoric friends, who are the largest dinosaurs touring the country right now,” said Matt Flynn, CEO of Immersive Productions. “Whether they want to pretend they’re living among the dinosaurs, immersing themselves in a Dinosaur Dance Party to increase the number of engagements they have on social media, or bringing their children to one of our Story Time sessions, we are confident visitors of all ages will find something here that they like, and we bet they’ll find reasons to come back again too!”
Flynn and the Immersive Productions team likes to introduce the dinosaurs to the communities they visit in other ways too, such as through planning visits to iconic landmarks, as well as schools and hospitals to connect with children who might not be able to make it out to wherever the exhibit is being held. If you know of a community-minded organization who would be interested in hosting a “visiting” dinosaur (costumed individual) Immersive Productions encourages you to reach out to [email protected].
Educational components of the exhibit include:
- Story Time: Every hour on the hour, DINOSAUR EXPEDITIONS will host Story Time, a 10-minute session where a dinosaur – chaperoned by a member of the “Crewasaurus” human team – will read a dinosaur-themed book to children out loud. Each Story Time session is first-come, first-served and open to 30 participants at a time.
- Fossil Dig and Skeletons: Participants of all ages will also be able to learn through a hands-on “Fossil Dig” experience. Plus, there are two large Dinosaur skeleton structures to admire.
There are also interactive features to look forward to, including Photo Ops and Selfie Spots. Several displays – including an opportunity to climb into a dinosaur egg, and a dinosaur’s mouth – serve as prime selfie destinations, satisfying fairgoers who have a social media flair. Visitors of all ages will also be encouraged to interact and dance along to an animatronic Dinosaur Band and show off their skills in daily Dinosaur Dance Parties, held every other hour.
The DINOSAUR EXPEDITION exhibit opens every day during The Fair at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 10:00 p.m. when the Exposition Center (and all buildings) close. Each Thursday during The Fair – August 24 and August 31 – the exhibit will host a designated Sensory Friendly hour from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., turning off bright lights and bringing down the sounds for guests who prefer little to no stimulation.
Access to the exciting Dinosaur Exhibit is included in the price of admission, which will be $6 for adults and free for those who are 12 years old and younger, and 65 years old and older. Parking will cost $10 per vehicle. Admission tickets and parking for the 2023 Great New York State Fair will go on sale soon, and the purchasing information – as soon as it’s available – will be provided at The Fair’s website, and on its social media platforms. Those who are interested are encouraged to follow the Great New York State Fair at http://NYSFair.Ny.Gov and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The New York State Fair begins on Wednesday, August 23 and continues through Labor Day, September 4.
Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture and provides top-quality entertainment. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.
