Dinosaur World

Though dinosaurs went extinct some 65 million years ago, you can find a few of them just outside of Tampa. Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida, features roughly 200 life-sized prehistoric giants in a lush park setting. Stroll along the boardwalks and take in the sheer size of these prehistoric figures—Brontosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and lesser-known dinos like Tsintaosaurus and Pachycephalosaurus—as Spanish moss hangs from centuries-old oak trees overhead. 

Inside the museum, you can see depictions of raptor claws, dinosaur eggs, massive jaw bones, and other artifacts, along with animatronics and several interactive exhibits. Children can literally dig into the world of paleontology as they sift through sand and make discoveries of their own at the Fossil Den and the Boneyard.

Replica T. rex claws and teeth are some of the items on display at the Exploration Cave, where guides are on hand to teach kids about fossils and satisfy inquisitive minds. Mammoths and other staples of the Ice Age are part of a newer exhibit in the cave. Uncover arrowheads and raw gems at the dinosaur Gem Mine, and climb among faux bones at the dinosaur-themed playground.