Moving, roaring dinosaurs come to Oakland's Lake Merritt

Unless you’re Nedry from "Jurassic Park," you probably think dinosaurs are cool. This spring and summer, an interactive exhibit in Oakland will unleash a whole menagerie of cool dinosaurs upon the populace — turkey-sized velociraptors, spiky stegosaurs and of course big ol T-rex itself.

"Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience" opened in May and will run through the summer at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, on the shore of Lake Merritt. "Dinos Alive is a time machine that takes you back millions of years," the organizers write. "Explore the dense jungles of the Jurassic era and see the dinos in their natural habitat with the help of the latest VR technology and a fully decorated venue. You’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into another world!"

The exhibit features several dozen dinosaur animatronics that fully loom and roar, and a virtual aquarium stocked with swimming ancients. There’s at least one dino children can actually ride for a cute photo. Plus, kids have their own "Budding Experts" interactive space where they can learn about paleontology, and even try to "tame" some iconic dinosaurs. Rawr, indeed.

Details: Open 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 10 10th St., Oakland; $30 for adults, $26 for ages 4-12 (free for ages 3 or younger), dinosaliveexhibit.com/oakland

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 11:17 AM.