Mystic Aquarium opens interactive 'Dino Seas' exhibit to explore prehistoric ocean

Katie Landeck, The Providence Journal
·3 min read

Before there were beluga whales and penguins or harbor seals and nurse sharks, giants swam in the deeps of the ocean.

There were megalodons, three times longer than a great white shark, that hunted in the ocean depths. There were ammonites, up to 10 feet long, that propelled themselves through the brine by squirting a jet of water. Even the frogs were bigger.

This is the world Mystic Aquarium is inviting guests into this summer in their new "Dino Seas: An Immersive Journey" exhibit opening Saturday, May 27. The exhibit is part of the Mystic, Connecticut aquarium’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Here’s what to know if you go.

'Dino Seas' is an extremely interactive exhibit

From the moment guests walk in, the interaction starts — the dynamic floor will record your footsteps, and then when the next "wave" comes through wash them away.

"We're trying to bring you down into the ocean depth," said Director of Exhibits Bryan Schultz. "As a kid, if you look up in the pool and see the water going, that's what we were trying to recreate."

From there, here are some of the interactive moments you can expect to find in the 10,000-square-foot space:

  • Animatronic sea creatures that move in response to your movement

  • Educational and just for fun video games to interact with

  • Dynamic floors and walls

  • An exhibit where you guess smells

If there's one animatronic not to miss during your visit, Shultz said it's the 30-foot megalodon hanging from the ceiling.

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What else is in the 'Dino Seas' exhibit?

Shark replicas hang from the ceiling in the "Dino Seas" exhibit at Mystic Aquarium. Admission to the new exhibit is $15.
Shark replicas hang from the ceiling in the "Dino Seas" exhibit at Mystic Aquarium. Admission to the new exhibit is $15.

The first priority when creating the exhibit, Schultz said, was fun, so it's loaded with ways to play. You'll find:

  • A playspace for kids to crawl around in

  • A 4-D theater playing "Deep Sea" and "Ice Age: No Time For Nuts"

  • A live exhibit of amphibians and reptiles

Why did Mystic change the exhibit to Dino Seas?

Before it was the "Dino Seas" exhibit, the space was for the "Jurassic Giants" exhibit.

"The kids love prehistoric animals," Shultz said. "We had to do more of that ... but at our core, we're an aquarium."

So the exhibit became about the prehistoric giants that lived under the waves and transitions over the course of walking through the space to wetlands, with amphibians and reptiles at the end of the exhibit.

What to know if you go to 'Dino Seas'

"Dino Seas: An Immersive Journey" opens Saturday at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.
"Dino Seas: An Immersive Journey" opens Saturday at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.

The "Dino Seas" exhibit is an additional fee to the aquarium entrance fee, priced at $15 for non-members and $10 for members. It's air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter.

The exhibit was created with kids, but also with young adults, in mind, Schultz said, so there is something for everybody. How long it takes to go through the exhibit will vary based on what activities people do and how engaged they become with them.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Mystic Aquarium 'Dino Seas' exhibit is a family-friendly day trip