Dinosaurs Take Up Residence at Dorney Park

T Rex is there.

So are 31 other dinosaurs -- two at 35- to 40-feet tall -- that move their heads and tails, blink their eyes and roar.

They're all part of 's new Dinosaurs Alive! attraction that is bound to marvel when the park opens for the season on Saturday, April 28. 

Patrons will be able to view the life-sized dinosaurs along walking paths in a 3.3-acre wooded area behind Steel Force that was not usually available to guests. Five other dinosaurs will be located elsewhere in the park.

The dinosaurs are set up in several scenes -- Jurassic China, Predator Ridge, Pack Attack, Flash Flood, Excavation Site, Predator Trap and a T Rex fight. One area will allow youngsters to dig through sand and excavate.

"You can almost forget you're at the park," said Dorney's general manager Jason McClure on Friday as the dinosaurs loomed and workers, who benefitted from March's warm temperatures, wrapped up installation.

The dinosaurs move on their own, but three will be interactive, allowing patrons to control their movements.

"They're very realistic," McClure said.

will provide a natural history lesson, he said, and the park will be reaching out to school groups. Guides will explain how the dinosaurs had interacted with each other and how they formed into fossils.

Also, the park has posted a 70-page study guide on its website. 

At 40 feet tall, a Ruyangosaurus is the tallest dinosaur in the attraction. But patrons will also be able to find a Mamenchiasaurus, Triceratops, Carnotaurus and many more. 

Entrance into Dinosaurs Alive! will be an additional $5 with park admission.