Welcome to Jurassic Garden

The dinosaurs have long held us with a deep sense of wonder. Their incredible size, endless varieties and dazzling names all add to their intrigue, and the ongoing discovery of giant bones only adds to the mystery. Though the dinosaurs have not been with us for the best part of 65 millions years, countless books, magazines and movies bring these beasts back to life, and this August, the dinosaurs will roam the Earth once again, in Sydney’s Australian Botanic Garden.

Dinosaur delight

On August 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., monsters such as Muttaburrasaurus and Australovenator will roam the gardens once again, lovingly recreated as realistic puppets to their exact likeness from all those years ago as part of Science Week. It’s completely free, but dinosaurs aren’t the only ancient lifeforms that you’ll happen across in the Botanic Garden.

You’ll also be able to walk amongst the prehistoric plants that once grew right here in Australia when it was part of a giant continent known as Gondwana – some of the oldest vegetation still surviving after all those years. You can take a walk through the ancient rainforest in the Connections Garden – some trees even date from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, such as the Wollemi pine.

After you’ve marvelled at the ancient plantlife, take a walk in the Jurassic Garden. One of the main attractions is Winny, a Muttaburrasaurus that moves and sounds just as she would have done 100 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. At five metres in length, Winny won’t be easy to miss, and as a peaceful herbivore, you don’t have to worry about her taking a bite from your burger as you wander the garden.

Dinosaurs are brought back to life in Sydney this August.

Perhaps you should take a little more caution, though, over the Australovenator that also frequents these parts. Remember the sinister Velociraptors and their clicking claws as they stalked through the kitchens in Jurassic Park? Well, Australovenator was bigger, faster and a whole lot meaner that the ‘raptors, but don’t worry, the one striding through the Jurassic Garden is just a puppet – or is it?

There are plenty of other activities to pique your interest as you wander the Jurassic Garden. Wildlife spotting and fossil finding are just a few of these, so there is little chance of you and your friends and family losing interest.

The Macleay Hotel makes for a great place to stay, whatever you’re up to in Sydney. Be sure to get in touch with us to reserve a comfortable room ahead of your visit – we look forward to welcoming you.