If your kids are dinosaur fans, Field Station: Dinosaurs is a must-see this fall. We visited this mini Jurassic park on a sunny Sunday afternoon and felt like real Paleontologists on an exciting expedition.
Located in Overpeck County Park in Bergen County, NJ Field Station: Dinosaurs, contains over 30 life-sized dinosaurs. Admission is $15.50 for anyone older than 2. You can also get add-ons for additional fees. When we were there, some of the extras included “Dinosaur Daredevil” glow in the dark puppet show and Paleontologist’s Laboratory, where kids can dig for actual fossils. The park is open on the weekends from 10 am - 5 pm, through November 11th.
We marveled at the animatronic dinosaurs; each one a masterpiece created by teams of artists and engineers, along the main path, explored the Lookout and River trails, caught a few minutes of the T-Rex show, ran through a maze with raptors lurking at every corner, and walked through the tents that really made us feel like we were in Jurassic Park. We spent about an hour and a half there, but we did not take full advantage of the park’s activities. We didn’t stay for the dinosaur origami demonstration in the family tent; we also did not stay for a full show or grab a quick bite at the snack stand.
While Field Station Dinosaurs tags itself as being “9 minutes from Manhattan, but 90 million years back in time”, it’s usually more like a 30 minute drive from midtown depending on the traffic situation. There are other fun family attractions within a 20 minute drive from Field Station, including Van Saun County Park for the zoo, choo choo train ride and playground, Hiram’s Roadstand for deep fried hot dogs, and an abundance of shopping malls with family entertainment including The Shops at Riverside, Garden State Plaza, and Bergen Town Center (the malls are closed on Sundays due to Bergen County’s Blue Laws).