Riverbanks Zoo Dinosaurs Around the World: Our Experience

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Dinosaurs at the zoo!

What better combination than one of nearly every kid’s favorite thing with one of nearly every kid in Columbia’s favorite attraction.

There will be a special exhibit of dinosaurs at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC running through the end of 2026 and start of 2027.

Read on to learn about our experience seeing the Riverbanks Zoo Dinosaurs Around the World exhibit and what to expect if you want to see them yourself!

People waiting ot ent — Learn about the special Riverbanks Zoo Dinosaur exhibit here.

What is the Riverbanks Zoo Dinosaurs Around the World Exhibit?

Officially named Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors, Riverbanks Zoo’s Dinosaur exhibit is a traveling exhibit from a company named Imagine that creates outdoor educational exhibits for display at zoos, parks, and museums around the world.

The exhibit features animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar, along with signposts that allow visitors to learn more about the dinosaurs themselves but also the geography of the ancient past with an explanation of the modern day continent where each dinosaur lived and what the climate and landscape was like before the breakup of.

That lets visitors of all ages learn more about plate tectonics and how the earth has changed over the millions of years since dinosaurs roamed it.

A small dinosaur at Riverbanks Zoo with a sign to the right. — All the dinosaurs have signposts explaining more about them.

According to Imagine’s website, it features some of the most famous as well as most unique dinosaur species, and it was created with the help of PhD paleontologist Dr. Gregory M. Erickson.

The exhibit actually has visited Riverbanks before, and zoo President and CEO Tommy Stringfellow described it as a “fan favorite,” and said, “when you pair that with a ride on the Saluda Skyride and encounters with our own living reptiles, it’s an experience families will remember long after their visit and one that connects the past to today’s conservation challenges” in this press release from Riverbanks.

The dinosaurs at Riverbanks Zoo went on display starting September 17 and will be at the zoo until January 4.

When Can You See the Dinosaurs at Riverbanks Zoo?

This current edition of Dinosaurs Around the World at Riverbanks Zoo will be on display from Thursday, September 17, 2026, to Monday, January 4, 2027.

The exhibit is open from 9 am to 5 pm, during the zoo’s normal daytime operating hours.

That suggests the dinosaurs will not be visible during special evening events like Riverbanks Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo and the Wild Lights Christmas Lights at Riverbanks.

You’ll find the Riverbanks Dinosaurs Around the World exhibit on the garden side of the zoo. You can park there and walk along this boardwalk or take the Saluda Skyline from the main zoo area across to the garden side.

Do You Have to Buy a Special Ticket to See the Dinosaurs at Riverbanks Zoo?

No.

Admission to Dinosaurs Around the World at Riverbanks Zoo is included with normal admission to the zoo and requires no special ticket.

By the way, do check out my complete guide to Riverbanks Zoo to plan your visit!

Coming from out of town? Check out my picks for hotels near Riverbanks Zoo or check for the best deals for hotels in Columbia.

Main entrance to Riverbanks Zoo with a sign for Dinosaurs Around the World above it. — Visiting the Dinosaurs Around the World exhibit at Riverbanks Zoo is included with the cost of daytime admission.

Where are the Dinosaurs at the Zoo?

The dinosaurs are all on display around the Botanical Garden area of the zoo, across the Saluda River from the main area of the zoo.

You can, of course, park on the garden side and walk in there if you’re only seeing the dinosaurs.

Seeing them is also an excellent excuse to ride the Saluda Skyline cable cars across the river if you haven’t had a chance to do them yet!

A child looking out the window on the skyline at Riverbanks Zoo. — You can take the Saluda Skyride across the river between the garden and main zoo side.

Our Experience Seeing Dinosaurs Around the World at Riverbanks Zoo

Our nearly 3-year-old daughter Aaliyah had a dentist appointment, and I was looking for something to do afterwards since I wouldn’t be taking her to preschool that day.

The zoo is one of our favorite things to do, and it just so happened that was the same day as the dinosaurs at Columbia’s zoo were going on display.

So, I figured that was all the more reason to do a zoo afternoon after the dentist!

Sidewalk with a sign for the scavenger hunt for dinosaurs at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. — There is a virtual scavenger hunt you can do while you see Dinosaurs Around the World at Riverbanks Zoo.

Aaliyah was very excited about seeing the dinosaurs, perhaps in no small part because she just welcomed a little brother into the world who has been showered with all sorts of dinosaur themed things.

We normally do the zoo early in the morning, so since we were going later in the day this time, I parked on the garden side and planned to just see the dinosaurs and maybe ride across to see the animals depending on how it went.

A child looking at a small Riverbanks Zoo dinosaur. — Who knew there were triceratops with no horns?

I should say, if you haven’t ever taken your kids over to the garden side, there is more to do there than just the dinosaurs.

There is, of course, the huge splash pad, but there are also board walks and tree houses through the forest, an enchanted fairy garden complete with books to sit and read, and some giant board games.

We, honestly, haven’t spent much time over here, and it was fun walking from the parking lot through the boardwalk through the forest, looking out for any dinosaurs lurking in the trees.

Sidewalk surrounded by plants with a dinosaur in the background. — The first dinosaur we came upon after the boardwalk through the forest.

We first came upon a medium sized carnivorous dinosaur with crests, sort of like a bigger version of the dino that spits on Dennis in Jurassic Park.

Aaliyah was excited by this one, which didn’t have a frilly neck mane, and the next few we saw as we entered the garden area.

Some of the Riverbanks Zoo dinosaurs, like this one, do move and roar.

Then we went out to the big open lawn area where the giant T-Rex is located.

He’s pretty impressive!

So impressive, in fact, that Aaliyah decided he was much too large and had much too scary a roar, and she wasn’t really into seeing the rest of the dinosaurs anymore.

Two men standing under a T-rex at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC. — Aaliyah was intrigued by the giant T-Rex at first, but as we got close and she heard its mighty roar, she decided she wasn’t so crazy about dinosaurs anymore.

We did swing by the Oviraptor, complete with feathers and an egg to munch on, but the nearby tunnel ramp and slide was much more interesting for Aaliyah.

Despite her protests, I did manage to get her to walk by the giant Triceratops, which she was also frightened by.

Not so into the dinosaurs, we decided to head over to the zoo side of the river to see Butch the Grizzly Bear, her favorite animal at Riverbanks (see this guide to all the animals at Riverbanks Zoo).

We did go by a few more dinos, including a duck billed dinosaur and what looked like a baby brontosaurus on the way to the sky line.

A duckbilled dinosaur laying on the ground at Riverbanks Zoo. — This duckbilled dinosaur at Riverbank Zoo does have a cool striped pattern and red bill!

For what it’s worth, we didn’t read many of the signs that explain the dinosaurs so those names might be wrong!

I did skim over a few, and I thought it was a nice touch that it included the correct pronunciations of their names as well as in what modern day countries they lived in addition to what we know about them and their way of life.

So, for the slightly older kids (or adults!), it’s a good chance to learn a bit more about their favorite dinosaurs.

A small dinosaur at Riverbanks Zoo behind a sign and surrounded by plants. — A lot of the dinosaurs at Riverbanks are integrated into the pretty scenes of the garden really well, and each includes a sign explaining about their ecology and geography of where they lived during the times of Pangea.

Aaliyah found Butch much more interesting.

We munched on some popcorn while we watched him rouse from his slumber and lounge for a while (he’s quite the lazy bear) before he came over and munched on some lettuce and fish he had.

Then we headed back across the skyline to leave, stopping to have a little talk with that first dinosaur we saw when entering that he needed to not roar too loudly or scare Aaliyah.

A child sitting on a rock looking through glass at the grizzly bear at Riverbanks Zoo. — Aaliyah enjoyed Butch, her favorite animal at the zoo more than the dinosaurs at Riverbanks, but your child’s dino enjoyment is sure to vary.

Will You Go to See the Dinosaurs at Riverbanks?

If you have a child that is really into dinosaurs or if you yourself as an adult is really into dinosaurs, the Dinosaurs Around the World exhibit at Riverbanks is definitely worth checking out.

Riverbanks is already worth the visit if you’ve never been or haven’t been in a while anyways. Going over to see the dinosaurs is a great excuse to ride the skyline and check out the gardens.

Of course, if you live in Columbia, a Riverbanks Zoo membership is definitely worth it if you enjoy the zoo (click that link to see a breakdown and my thoughts on the different membership tiers).

A triceratops model behind a set of stone stairs. — The giant triceratops, complete with 3 horns, was really cool looking!

I thought the dinosaurs all looked really impressive.

Many of them do move their heads and some do roar.

I was honestly a little surprised Aaliyah found them a little bit scary, and I don’t think most children will, but it might be worth keeping in mind with toddlers.

If you do decide to go check out the dinosaurs at the zoo in Columbia, I hope you found this guide useful, that you enjoy them, and that they don’t roar too loudly at you.

Cheers and Happy Exploring!