They might have been wiped out millions of years ago – but that doesn’t stop modern-day children from being obsessed with dinosaurs. If you have a dino fan in your household you’ll be pleased to hear there are plenty of dinosaur-themed events taking place this summer, not to mention great attractions open all year round. Whether you want to walk in the real footsteps of ancient dinosaurs that once lived in Wales, meet life-sized moving dino replicas, play golf under the shadow of a T-rex, or even have a sleepover with dino skeletons, you can find it all here.

Please be aware that all events are subject to change or cancellation so do check ahead to avoid disappointment.

Main photo: Jurassic Kingdom © Martin Shields

If you found this guide useful perhaps you’d consider making a small donation to my fundraising appeal for Ty Hafan – the children’s hospice for Wales. My children and I are trying to raise £1000 this year to help Ty Hafan support life-limited children and their families by taking part in a series of running events. You can read more about our mission plus find details of how to donate on the Cardiff Mummy Says JustGiving page. 

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DINOSAUR EVENTS

Dinosaur World Live

Swansea Grand Theatre, Singleton Street, Swansea, SA1 3QJ

Monday 9 July 1.30pm and 4.30pm; Tuesday 10 July 10.30am and 4.30pm; Wednesday 11 July 10.30am and 1.30pm

£14; age 3+; 50 minutes plus 15 minutes meet and greet with the dinosaurs.

An interactive family show where audiences join an intrepid explorer across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs. Meet a host of impressive creatures, including the Tyrannosaurus tex, a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus.

Make Your Own Dinosaur Mug

Pugh’s Garden Centre, Radyr

£6 per child; age 3+

Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 July; various sessions 10am-3pm

Use a ceramic pen and a peel-off dinosaur motif and take your unique mug straight home to be set in the oven to make it permanent.

Jurassic Dinosaurs In the Park II

Margam Country Park, Port Talbot

Sunday 29 July

Early bird tickets (until 10pm Sunday 22 July) adults £5; children £5; family (2+2) £23

Standard tickets on the day adults £8; children £5.50; family (2+2) £26.

3s and under free. Car parking free.

Back by popular demand Margam Park will become a real-life Jurassic Park with dinosaurs to meet and dino-themed events throughout the day. You can meet Rex, the life-size baby T-Rex; ‘Tiny’ the Triceratops, believed to be the largest of his kind in Europe on his first visit to Wales; Dexter the life-like 4-metre long feathered, walking, roaring baby Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur; as well as a newly-hatched newborn baby dinosaur. You can climb inside a giant dinosaur egg, plus there’s a Dinosaur Rescue Centre Show and Dinosaur-y Storytelling. Dino fancy dress welcome!

Dino Day

Cantref Adventure Farm, Upper Cantref Farm, Cantref, Brecon LD3 8LR

Wednesdays 8 and 22 August

Online advance booking £9.95 per person; family of 4 £38.70; children under 93cm free

As well as all the usual farm activities including pet-handling, bottle feeding and pig racing, Dino Day gives visitors the chance to see amazing realistic-looking dinosaurs. Learn how to tame the Terrific T-Rex and stomp with the Spine Tingling Spinosauraus as they parade through the farm park with their rangers. Plus fossils, dinosaur games, fun dinosaur facts, and other family dino fun.

Museum Sleepover – Dino Nights

National Museum Cardiff

Saturday 11 August 5.30pm-Sunday 12 August 9am

£48 per adult or child; age guidance 6-12

A very special sleepover packed full of exciting dino experiences. Guests will take a torch-lit tour to explore Wales as it was 200 million years ago; meet some friendly dinosaurs and watch their eggs hatch in a dino-show to remember; get creative with craft workshops inspired by fossils, footprints and bones from the Museum’s collection; enjoy a snack box and hot chocolate with a choice of extras from the toppings station; watch a film before bed; camp under the dome to dream of ancient lands filled with fabulous beasts; wake up bright and early for breakfast together before you head back to life in the 21st century. Must be pre-booked.

See the Attractions section below for details of regular day-time viewings of the museum’s dinosaurs.

Jurassic Kingdom: Where Dinosaurs Come To Life

Bute Park, North Rd, Cardiff CF10 3DX

Saturday 11-Monday 27 August

Advance online prices adults £11.50; children £9.50; family £38 (get 20% off by quoting EARLYBIRD)

On the door prices adults £13; child £11; family £44

Bute Park will be transformed into a Jurassic Kingdom with over 30 interactive, life-sized replica dinosaurs in the first outdoor, touring, animatronic dinosaur experience of its kind to hit the UK. Come face to face with a 26m long Diplodocus and the notorious Tyrannosaurus rex, while learning about every predator from over 200 million years ago. The creatures come to life before your eyes, with their tails, eyes, heads and arms moving and making you jump with their raging roars. Open Wednesdays to Sundays from 10am till 6pm with final entry at 5pm. When selecting tickets you will be asked to select one of the hourly time slots from 10am to 5pm. Once inside, visitors can stay as long as they like until it closes at 6pm.

Photo credit © Martin Shields

Dinosaur Hunt

Cwmcarn Forest Visitor Centre, Cwmcarn, Crosskeys, NP11 7FA

Saturday 11 August 11am-3pm

£3 per child; ages 3+; booking essential

Help find the missing Professor Anna Saurus who was last seen heading off into the valley in search of the hidden T-Rex eggs. Follow the clues and claim your prize.

Read our review of Cwmcarn Forest here.

Egg-o-saurus Workshop

Cwmcarn Forest Visitor Centre, Cwmcarn, Crosskeys, NP11 7FA

Sunday 12 August 10.30am-3pm

£4.50 per child; ages 4+; must be pre-booked

Make your own dino eggs in a messy creative workshop.

Read our review of Cwmcarn Forest here.

DINOSAUR ATTRACTIONS 

Tee-Rex Golf

Cardiff Golf Centre, Began Road, Old St Mellons, Cardiff, CF3 6XJ

Weekdays 9am-9pm (last tee off 7pm); weekends 9am-8pm (last tee off 6.30pm)

Adults £7; children £5; family (2+2) £20

Adventure golf with a difference with an 18-hole crazy golf course that sees players walk among huge dinosaurs including a 12-foot t-rex.

FREE Dinosaur replicas and skeletons

National Museum Cardiff, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NP

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm

The Museum’s Evolution of Wales gallery is a fascinating 4,600 million-year voyage charting the history of our country right from the Big Bang that lead to the formation of the Earth 4.5 billion years ago passing through different climates and environments as Wales moved across the surface of the planet. A highlight for many though is the reconstruction of south Wales 200 million years ago with impressive dinosaur skeletons and footprints and moving woolly mammoths.

You can read our review of National Museum Cardiff here.

FREE Walk in the footsteps of dinosaurs

Bendricks Beach, Barry, CF64 5XU

This is one of the best sites in Britain to see dinosaur footprints from the Triassic Period. Several different sizes and kinds of footprints are visible including small three-toed footprints which were probably made by small, meateating (theropod) dinosaurs which walked on their hind legs; large three-toed footprints which may belong to a larger theropod; and wider, fourtoed footprints which may belong to a plant-eating dinosaur which usually walked on all fours. It’s best to visit when the tide is on its way out, as some of the tracks get covered at high tide. I’m sure it goes without saying, but please don’t damage the footprints. They have been stolen in the past.

Read The Boy And Me’s review here.

Dan Yr Ogof Dinosaur Park

Dan Yr Ogof National Showcaves Centre for Wales, Abercraf, Swansea SA9 1GJ

Adults £15; children 3-16 £11.50; children age 2 and under are free

Open daily until Sunday 4 November; opens 10am with last admission 3pm (3.30pm school holidays)

As well as an impressive 17-kilometre long cave system Dan yr Ogof is also home to one of the world’s largest award-winning dinosaur parks with more than 220 life-sized dinosaur models. Visitors can face the terrifying tyrannosaurus rex that could swallow 230kg of meat in a single bite; meet the massive brachiosaurus weighing more than 15 elephants, and wonder at the strange and unusual crest on the tsintaosaurus’ head.

You can read our full review of Dan yr Ogof here. Image by Geopictures.net with thanks to Dan Yr Ogof.

The Dinosaur Park

Great Wedlock, Gumfreston, Tenby, SA70 8RB

Adults £12.50; children £11.25; 2 and under free

Around an hour and 40 minute drive from Cardiff this dino theme park is a great day out if you are staying in Pembrokeshire – or perfectly doable in a day from Cardiff. All manned attractions – such as disco boats, tubey rides, moto quads, bouncer trampolines and more – are included in the admission price. New for 2018 is an adventure net to climb; a curling and skittles lane; and hurricane cars. For dinosaur fans there’s a woodland walking trail with over 30 dinosaurs including a brachiosaurus, as heavy as 10 elephants; a stegosaurus with her baby; and a seven-ton T-Rex, rumbling around in the undergrowth. Plus fossil hunting and a Jurassic Journey on a buggy to see more dinosaurs hiding in the woods. Children can also go for a ride on a baby triceratops called Ting Ting (£1 charge).

You can read our full review of Tenby Dinosaur Park here.