Great events cast their shadows ahead - and these are truly huge: after 66 million years, the giants of prehistory are now making their big comeback in Berlin. In the new Dinoworld Berlin, visitors can now immerse themselves in the fascinating world of T. Rex, Triceratops & Co. More than 20 life-size dinosaurs transform the wildly romantic centre of Tierpark Berlin between Terrassencafé Kakadu and Friedrichsfelde Palace into a primeval adventure trail. New goosebumps from times long past await around every corner. Along the way, amateur palaeontologists of all ages can put their skills to the test at an excavation site. Finally, at the interactive photo point there is the opportunity to take a souvenir photo with T. Rex. In addition to meeting the prehistoric giants, visitors can gather a lot of exciting background information and discover parallels to today's animal world in an accompanying exhibition.
The dinosaur exhibition was conceived together with the American palaeontologist Don Lessem. Known internationally as "Dino Don", the explorer and author was already engaged as a scientific advisor for Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park". Some of the dinosaurs that have arrived at Tierpark Berlin have already been on display at Zoo Leipzig in the past. At the beginning of April, five more dinos will arrive at the zoo - including a stegosaurus, as well as the velociraptors, which are popular with fans. After Zoo Leipzig, Tierpark Berlin is only the second location in the whole of Germany to show dinosaurs from "Dino Don". "I am delighted to be here today for the opening of Dinoworld Berlin," reports Don Lessem. "I am thrilled at how excellently the dinos fit into this beautiful park landscape. And I'm sure they will cause many shining eyes, especially among the little zoo guests, in the coming months."
For almost a month, a core team of around ten people was at work setting up the more than 20 life-size dinosaurs in the heart of the zoo. But to make the exhibition possible in the first place, many more hardworking hands and clever minds were needed: more than 50 people were involved in the preparations over the past weeks and months. Among them were not only internal and external craftsmen, but also experts from the fields of statics, horticulture and landscaping, graphics, palaeontology and didactics. Over 340 new plants were planted along the Dino Trail. Among them are ginko, bracken and other "living fossils" - they already existed in dinosaur times. "My sincere thanks go to everyone who was involved in bringing the dinosaurs to Tierpark Berlin. I know that it was a huge challenge - to get something this big up and running in such a short time is only possible with a great team," confirms Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr. Andreas Knieriem, adding: "The prehistoric celebrities gathered in this exhibition impressively show us how it feels to have lost a fascinating species forever. We are still at a point where we can prevent the extinction of rhinoceros, tiger and many other creatures. What we have lost once, we can't just take back again."
The dinosaur exhibition will be open to guests at Tierpark Berlin until October 2023. The visit to Triceratops and Co. is included in the regular admission price. For real dinosaur fans, however, there is a special Dino Ticket, which, in addition to the day admission to the zoo, also includes an entertaining and at the same time informative dinosaur brochure. The 50-page magazine was designed by the zoo team exclusively for the new exhibition. In addition to exciting puzzles about the prehistoric lizards, it also offers interviews with scientists and a renowned palaeontologist as well as many other detailed background facts. Dino fans young and old can immerse themselves in the dinosaur experience in an even more interactive way. Advance sales have already started and are in full swing. The strictly limited dino tickets can be purchased easily in the ticket shop: shop.tierpark-berlin.de.
Even before the opening, Tierpark Berlin had been looking for - and found - Germany's biggest dino fan. The zoo received numerous creative and heart-warming entries. The winning families were able to attend the opening on Thursday and meet "Dino Don" in an exclusive "Meet & Greet" and ask him questions.
Dinowold Berlin in numbers
- 20 life-size dinosaurs
- Period: April to October 2023
- Construction time: 4 weeks
- Tallest dinosaur: 11 metres (Brachiosaurus)
- Longest dinosaur: 25 metres (Brachiosaurus)
- Heaviest dinosaur: 5.2 tons (Brachiosaurus)
