Jane Healy, Auckland Zoo
Pre-historic giants claw their way back!
A colossal Brachiosaurus with offspring and strikingly crested Cyrolophosaurus are among awe-inspiring prehistoric creatures visitors can look forward to encountering on Auckland Zoo’s Dinosaur Discovery Track - reopening on Wednesday 10 June 2026!
Free with regular Zoo entry, our new dinosaur exploration features 20 animatronic replicas of 15 different species (that move and roar!) from the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods between 200 - 66 million year ago.
Following last year’s massively popular activation, we’re again utilising our vacant former elephant habitat (in future to become part of our Africa Safari Track) and working with world-leading dinosaur creators, The Dinosaur Company, to bring you this immersive educational experience.
“Dinosaurs inspire so much curiosity about wildlife, and this year we’re especially excited to have sauropods, including the Brachiosaurus with offspring. These gigantic, long-necked herbivores that soar over the Track represent the largest animals to have ever walked our Earth. Plus, we’ve brought back a few 2025 favourites, including a Tyrannosaurus – that this time has a juvenile, and hatchings,” says Auckland Zoo’s Visitor Experience and Engagement Manager, Zoe Firth.
“Collectively, these pre-historic replicas offer us a brilliant opportunity to shine a light on nature’s extraordinary terrestrial and marine giants – past and present, and talk about taonga species here in Aotearoa that continue to need our help to safeguard them from extinction.”
Open from 9.30am – 4pm daily, the Track enables visitors of all ages and abilities to try their hand as a palaeontologist and take part in fossil digs - accessible at both ground and wheelchair level.
Dinosaur Rangers will be roaming the Track to chat with visitors and share their dinosaur knowledge and passion, and will be giving free twice-daily dinosaur keeper talks at 10.15am and 1.45pm.
To cater to all, there will also be “quiet times” (no sound or movement) on Tuesday mornings and the first Sunday of every month between 9.30am – 11am.
