Plantosaurus Rex Exhibit, Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco

A visit to the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco has been on our to-do list for a couple months, ever since the Plantosaurus Rex:  Prehistoric Plants exhibit opened a couple months ago.  Our five-year-old son is still loving anything dinosaur-related, so a visit here was a must-do.  We were warned that the roaring of the dinosaurs in the exhibit room could be a bit frightening for kids, so we warned our son ahead of time.

Then we were all set for a short journey through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods, and an educational introduction to the plants present in each time period.  Of course, my son was more interested in pushing the buttons which made fun things happen than sitting down to learn about the flora of the times.  The garden provides a couple of fun activity guides to be used by children (and adults) throughout the exhibit.

My son loved this exhibit!  First, note that it’s pretty small exhibit, consisting of one room within the Conservatory of Flowers, which isn’t a large museum to begin with.  But it’s plenty big enough to create a fun experience for any din0-loving kid.  The exhibits are interactive, with buttons to push that make the various prehistoric creatures roar, squawk, or buzz.  The favorite was the button which made a volcano “erupt” and make the entire area around the volcanic mound shake.  Great earthquake effects!

The exhibit will be on display through October, 2012.  Check it out while you can!

For photos I took in other parts of the museum, check out my post from yesterday… Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco.

If you decide to visit, I highly recommend you pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy the lawn in front of the museum. After being inside the museum for an hour or so, my son couldn’t resist running and running around the flowers, until he dropped with joy and exhaustion.

Interested in going?  The Conservatory of Flowers is located in Golden Gate Park, near other popular museums and destinations (California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum).  For current admission fee and hours, visit the website… www.conservatoryofflowers.org/visit/hours.  This is an indoor museum, and, need I point out,  it’s hot and humid!  I highly suggest you dress in layers.