ITravelNomad

Placed in Victory square, just outside the National Geology Museum, the Dino Park invites all, big and small, to have a short walk-around tens of dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus, T-Rex, Triceratops (over 30 of them).

Little ones will say the dinosaurs and mammoths look like the ones from the Ice Age movie franchise, and they won’t be wrong – they really look great.

There are also a few animals still living in the latest Ice Age: a Sabertooth tiger and a couple of Mammoths. There is also a Dodo Bird which is said to be extinct since 1622.

You can hear the roars from quite far away, even with all the car traffic.

The Park

Entrance Price:

Adults: 25Lei / 5Eur

Kids over age of 3: 20 Lei / 4 Eur

The park is easily visible from the outside, and even from 100 meters away you kind of get the hint that there is something Wild going on. The park is surrounded by a gate and fence with pictures of the Dino Park features and attractions.

Being in the city center, the square is connected by all transport means available in the city (bus, tram, metro, electric scooters and cars). Visiting by night allows you to find parking easier. During the day, the many available parking spaces seem to vanish in a sea of cars, leaving few options for free parking.

At the entrance there is a toy and souvenirs shop full of prehistoric dino toys, puzzles, magnets and so on.

You have photo opportunities all around the park and see which dinosaur makes the scariest face.

The park has children in mind from the start. At the start the park alley splits in two but leaves the opportunity for the children to roam around at free will. The park is gated and should be quite safe.

The dinosaurs come alive every 30 seconds or so making all sorts of sounds and movements.

Visiting by night will be quite fun because the park makes use of some great multicoloured lighting. The lights are enough to make your photos look great a without flash.

The park is opened since 23 of December and is planned to be open, for now, until 31st of March and could be extended based on demand. The park is closed on 1st and 2nd of January 2021.

We liked:

• The lights around the park were amazing, at least in the first part of the park. This is Great for photo opportunities.

• Toys and souvenirs shop is somewhat reasonably priced. We left with a magnet memory to place on the fridge.

• Hop on dinosaurs for a fun ride. There is no age limit.

• All dinos are animatronic figures which move, breath and sound) as they advertise. At least better than we’ve seen in other parks like Dino Park Rasnov – here and here. And Dino Park Thessaloniki. And they have over 30 animated dinos.

• It was a big surprise to find the park setup in Bucharest. Dinosaurs in the park come in all shapes and sizes, types and eras. They move and roar like no others.

• The Therizinosaurus was particularly well designed.

Didn’t like:

• The park is quite small compared to others we’ve seen – but it can be improved by visiting the National Museum of Geology, Antipa Natural History Museum and Ethnology Museum for a more complete experience.

• Cool lighting is not available for all dinos – in multiple colors, but there is enough light everywhere in the park.

• Finding parking for car during the day can be the hardest. Choose public transport, cab or browse for paid parking places in advance if you want/need to bring your car. With regards to parking, Bucharest city center is known for one of the highest private parking fees in European capitals – 3 EUR for 15 minutes or 7 EUR for one hour. There are services available online, like Parkme.com showing you information about status of parking places in private parking areas around Bucharest. Unfortunately prices are not always updated.

No matter the age, you will find a way to enjoy the park as this is a nice way to spend time with the family to take some pictures with the oldest creatures on the planet, learning about their environment and habits as you go along the park alley. For the “little” paleontology enthusiasts the park has also information cards along the route with facts about the dinos.

Things to do while in Victory Square area:

You have to get your water or coffee elsewhere. Actually there are a couple of great local shops selling coffee and eclairs just on the other side of the road: Manufaktura and French Revolution.

Victory square is found in the most inner circle of the city street network. It is quite a large space where there is always car traffic, no matter the time of day or night. It is bordered by taller office buildings and apartments, but also government building, a few museums (Antipa Natural History Museum and Ethnology Museum) and Kiseleff park. There are also a few car parking places inside and around.

Mix your visit with other museums

You can mix this park along side visiting the National Museum of Geology first, in order to see even more dinosaurs and learn about the history and formation of the Earth.

There you will find out how mountains are formed. See a multitude of rocks and minerals. Learn about chemical symbols of elements. Find out about fossilization and see for yourself evidence of fossilized plants and animals. Also find out about how natural resources are discovered and exploited for the benefit of mankind.

Prices: