What to KnowDino FestNatural History MuseumSunday, Aug. 3010 a.m. to 5 p.m.; members will enjoy early access beginning at 9 a.m.$18 adult; other ticketing tiers are availableAdvance ticket purchase is recommended
The unofficial-but-widely-observed summer season comes to a definitive conclusion either at the end of August or around Labor Day, depending on your general preference.
Either way, you know that you have to totally, and we do mean totally, get some of the biggest fun in before the carefree stretch wraps its yearly run.
And you can’t get much bigger, at least when it comes to former earthlings with a powerful presence, than a Tyrannosaurus, or Mr. Rex, if you prefer.
The big and bold king of olden Earth is one of the bony stars, along with other incredible icons of the Mesozoic era, of Dino Fest at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Of course, the animals that the daylong Jurassic jamboree is scientifically saluting won’t actually be in attendance, but paleontologists will be there, talking about the ancient critters, what they ate, how they tussled, and everything dino-centric that’s under the sun.
Speaking of which… do you ever think how you exist under the same star that once shown up on the Pterodactyl and Triceratops? That feels like a lively topic to introduce on the way to the Aug. 30 event, so feel free to bring it up to your crew.
Other happenings on the busy schedule include opportunities to goggle rare specimens (the kind housed in the museum’s prized collections), join in dino-themed activities of the hands-on variety, get to know PBS’s Buddy the Dinosaur, and roam the world-famous Dinosaur Hall.
A screening of NBC’s “Surviving Earth” is also on the roster, along with a LEGO Build the Change activity.
While dinosaurs are always in vogue at the Exposition Park museum, they are definitely having a month. On Aug. 21, Prehistoric Fight Night returns to the institution, and while actual dinos can’t battle at the bash, of course, experts will consider which mega Mesozoic superstars would have triumphed in claw-to-claw combat.