First Look: Dinosauria Roars Back at Detroit Zoo (w/video)

Get ready for a veritable "Zoorassic Park" at the this summer. The popular Dinosauria  experience is back and it's bigger than ever with more than 30 life-like animatronic dinosaurs that roar, snarl and move.

Dinosauria officially opens to the public today and runs through Labor Day.

The robotic dinosaurs are built on steel frames and covered with life-like foam rubber skin. High-tech electronics and air pistons power the dinosaurs' claws and teeth while a booming sound system gives them their “roars.” The lush winding DinoTrail is approximately 1/2 mile long with prehistoric life – including adult dinosaurs and a nest with eggs and hatchlings – lurking at every turn. 

Dinosauria  is a crowd favorite at the Detroit Zoo, spokeswoman Patricia Mills Janeway said. "In 2009, about 30 percent of zoo visitors also saw Dinosauria," she said. "Attendance tends to spike in the years we feature Dinosauria."

Knowledgeable zoo volunteers, called DinoGuides, are stationed at education carts along the DinoTrail to guide visitors through the amazing adventure.

One of the new dinosaurs this summer is a Giganotosaurus, Janeway said. "Bigger than T. Rex!" she noted.

Tuesday, the zoo hosted a soft opening and let visitors walk through the exhibit free of charge. Tara Mellis of Brighton said her family "absolutely loved it." 

"It was very realistic," she said. "My daughters were surprised when they got wet." Warning: A couple of dinosaurs spray guests with water.

At the end of the DinoTrail is a dino dig site and fossil sifting station for kids to dig in and play. Children can also walk through a dinosaur rib cage and climb on a T. Rex.  

Brandon Baligian, 4, said "the spitting dinosaur" was his favorite. His father, Daniel Baligian of Farmington, said Brandon couldn't wait to see Dinosauria. "He's already asked me if he can come back for his birthday next week," he said.

A DinoStore at the exit is stocked with dinosaur-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, games, gifts and other tempting remembrances.

If a visit to Dinosauria leaves you wanting even more, check out the DinoSimulator at the Wild Adventure Ride in the zoo's Ford Education Center, with Dino Island and Dino Island II: Escape from Dino Island. Passengers must be at least 36 inches tall and it is recommended that they be at least 5 years of age or older. Tickets are $4 with zoo admission.

Bonus: American Coney Island, a new café-style eatery located adjacent to Dinosauria, officially opens Thursday. So now you can have your dinosaurs and eat coneys, too.

Dinosauria is open daily through Labor Day, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.  and until 8 p.m. Wednesdays during July and August. Tickets are $4 with Detroit Zoo admission for visitors 2 and older. For more information, visit www.detroitzoo.org.