VIDEO: Walk among giant dinosaurs in Surrey, B.C.

Kids and parents lined up to see “Dinosaurs Around the World” at Guildford Town Centre on opening day, Sept. 12.

Admission is free at the walk-through exhibit, set up at the Surrey mall until Oct. 9, with Imagine Exhibitions’ showcase of 13 animatronic dinosaurs filling Guildford’s Centre Court area.

“It’s been a non-stop traffic here since we opened today,” said Kiran Deol, marketing manager of the shopping centre.

“We’re super happy with the turnout so far, and the weekend is only going to get busier as kids are out of school and families have more time on the weekend. We anticipate a very busy opening weekend.”

^^ This video shows the huge Spinosauraus, T-Rex and others in a temporary "Dinosaurs Around the World" exhibit at @ShopGTC.

Admission is free: https://t.co/r0yUDueLtm pic.twitter.com/Ms0zVKmt5P

— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) September 13, 2023

The dinosaurs move and roar in an exhibit that entertains and also teaches kids about the creatures. A “Passport to Pangea” identifies all of them, from the relatively tiny Minmi to the largest of the bunch, a Spinosaurus that measures 45 feet long and 16 high. There’s a Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Hadrosaur and more.

People on the mall’s second level can see the dinosaurs from above.

“Our Centre Court is very open and airy and bright, with lots of natural light,” Deol noted. “We also saw the exhibit last night when it was slightly darker in here, and it’s actually quite cool when it’s darker. There are some lights that up-light the dinosaurs, so it’s a great experience any time that you come.”

Atlanta-based Imagine Exhibitions has developed several touring exhibits, including a few that feature dinos.

The one at Guildford is the mall’s largest ever “activation,” Deol said. “The scale and magnitude of the exhibit is unlike anything we’ve done before and blurs the lines between an experience at a shopping centre and a trip to the museum,” she said.

The American Crown Circus tour of B.C. includes dates in Surrey, Tsawwassen, Nanaimo, Abbotsford, Victoria, Richmond and other cities, according to a post on americancrowncircus.com, where tickets can be purchased.

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