Dinosaur World, Somerville

Roaring T-Rex

Do you have little dinosaur lovers in your family? If yes,  then I think they would love to visit Dinosaur World, located in Somerville, if you are heading down to the Mornington Peninsula.

Whilst staying at my Mum and Dad’s over Christmas we decided to finally visit Dinosaur World – it’s been on my list of things to do for ages.

You will definitely not miss the entrance as there is a big T-Rex at the gates (which is also the entrance to the Christmas Tree Farm) and another T-Rex at the barn.

Somerville is under an hour from Melbourne – see the map here if you haven’t heard of it before –

Here you’ll pay your entry fee (and have a look around the gift shop) before entering Dinosaur World where the dinosaurs roar, move their eyes, tails, heads and feet. Olive freaked out to start with and was holding on for dear life. They are really quite big and noisy and I saw a couple of kids run in with excitement and then stop in their tracks and race back to their parents!

There are a selection of different dinosaurs (some well known and others we had not heard of before) with interesting signs about the dinosaurs and when and where they lived. The path is easy to walk around and is pram friendly.

Dinosaurs in action

The only down side is that the dinosaurs are within a small area – you could see perhaps four or five from the one spot. It would have been nice to go ‘exploring’ a little more to find them hiding in the bush.

The path leads you to a little dinosaur themed playground, free BBQ’s and picnic tables and a marquee with a sand pit and colouring books on the tables. There is also an option for a ‘fossil’ dig in the sand – this is an extra $8.

Picnic area and Dinosaur themed playground

Basic food is available including hot chips and sausages in bread.

Small cafe onsite

Whilst we were playing one of the keepers came around holding a baby dinosaur and crouched down and invited the kids to pat the baby. They all got to have a pat and ask questions (i.e. will he bite?). It was actually really well done for the little kids.

Yeah ok, it’s a little bit silly but the kids loved it!

As we were leaving another keeper let us know that Wilson, a walking dinosaur, was about to go for a walk.  So we headed back to the marquee to see Wilson and the kids had their photo taken. They were very quick to point out that it ‘was only someone dressed up’!

Wilson the walking dinosaur

This is only a small park and we spent less then 1.5 hours there. I wouldn’t necessarily make the trip especially from Melbourne but if you are staying on the Mornington Peninsula or visiting for a day trip and enjoying another activity (a winery maybe!!) then it would be a great stop for the kids.

It is also really quite expensive. It cost us $50 for a family ticket. But, it is a family run business and I’d say it was looked after with love!

If you lived closer then it would be a great place for a kids birthday party – party bookings are accepted.

Overall, I am happy that we finally visited Dinosaur World before the kids got too big (their website recommends 2-10 years of age), it was a great little adventure. Yes, it is quite pricey and it’s small but I actually think for kids it was a nice size and they didn’t need to walk too far.

You could even combine your visit to Dinosaur World with some berry picking at The Bramble Farm!

Top tips for visiting Dinosaur World, Somerville

Definitely check the website for opening hours – generally they are open every weekend from 10am-4pm and school holidays (but closed over winter)

The dinosaurs do move (on the spot) and make noises so it can be scary

Toilets are outside the barn so go before you head in (but it’s not too far if you need to head out).

The paths are well maintained and suitable for prams but they are dirt.

Plenty of parking on site

Snack food is available but BYO picnic’s are allowed (BBQ’s and picnic tables)

1 -2 hours would be ample

Digging for fossils costs an extra $8 (but there is a sand pit for playing in if you don’t want to do the fossil dig)

Prices for Dinosaur World

Adults $15.00

Children $12.00

Family Pass (2 Adults, 2 Children) $50.00

Children Under 2yo FREE

Pensioners $12.00

Dig and Discover $8.00