Dinosaurs, Giant Bugs Coming To Life At Philadelphia Zoo

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Zoo will soon welcome some new "residents," as more than two dozen gigantic animatronic dinosaurs and insects will soon join its family of real-life animals.

"Staying Power: Be Distinct or Go Extinct" is opening April 1 at the zoo.

Twenty-five life-sized animatronic dinosaurs and super-sized animatronic insects will be posted throughout the zoo as part of the exhibit.

Guest will find a 60-foot-long roaring and moving Giganotosaurus, a 15-foot-tall peacock jumping spider that demonstrates its remarkable mating dance, a growling amphibious Spinosaurs, and a hive of super-sized honeybees that buzz and dance to communicate.

Staying Power will highlight the physical traits, behaviors, and special skills that allowed insects to survive long after the dinosaurs went extinct.

The new feature opens to the public Saturday, April 1 to the public. Philadelphia Zoo members can get access on Thursday, March 30.

Tickets for Staying Power are a standard zoo admission ticket plus $6 for the special experience.

Members will get a special discount for Staying Power.

Get tickets here.

The zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the spring.

To enter Staying Power, guests will walk through an Earth-themed portal and embark on Dinosaur Trail, a pathway that winds among dinosaurs that roar, move their tail, or even bend over to look them directly in the eye.

Then, about mid-way through their journey, passing through a giant magnifying glass, guests enter a super-sized landscape of giant insects that hiss, buzz, click and wave their antennae and move their legs inside the Insect Garden.

Guests will also witness the life cycle of monarch butterflies and learn about the threats they face; they'll see giant honeybees working in a hive and learn their essential role in, and discover the simple changes we can make in our own habitats to help insects survive.

Scientists think there are about 5.5 million insect species on the planet—about 75 to 80 percent of all animals on Earth.

Their exoskeletons, ability to camouflage and power to fly are just a few of the adaptations that give them staying power.

The Philadelphia Zoo is located at 3400 W Girard Ave.