Dinosaurs and Ice Age creatures are coming to Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa’s west end!
If you have kids of a certain age, they’ve probably already made you well aware of The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa, a travelling attraction created in the U.K. that is making its first North American stop in Ottawa from June 23 to July 9. This afternoon, I popped into the media preview to see what all the dino fuss was about.
Disclosure: I received free admission for review purposes.
First things first: Tracking my prey
My first challenge was actually finding the life-sized animated dinosaurs. You’d think a giant brontosaurus would be pretty hard to miss when you’re driving along Corkstown Road…but you would be wrong. The attraction is actually tucked fairly far back in the park, so the big critters aren’t really visible from the road.
I got the first step right, as I’d been warned to take the March Road exit and drive east along Corkstown Road, rather than taking Moodie and driving west. Due to ongoing construction related to the LRT project, Corkstown is open to eastbound traffic only for much of the stretch between March and Moodie.
However, I wasn’t sure which of the two main entrances to Wesley Clover Parks to take, once I was on Corkstown.
Let me just say this: The folks in the campground, located at the first park entrance west of March Road, are very nice. They kindly directed me to the next entrance, marked by a statue of a horse, which leads—logically enough—to the Wesley Clover equestrian park. That’s where you’ll find The Lost Kingdoms.
The Lost Kingdoms: 50-plus dinosaurs, Ice Age creatures and cavepeople
Mission accomplished, I set out to discover the 50-odd dinosaurs, sabre-toothed tigers, giant sloths and cavepeople (cavepersons?) dotted throughout some grassy meadows and along shady forest trails.
I was walking with another adult and not checking out every snarling critter, so we did a roughly one-kilometre circuit of the attraction in about 20 minutes. If you want to check out every side trail and pose for pictures with every T-rex and mastodon, and if you are travelling with small children (as I expect you will be), it will take longer. The folks from The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa recommend allowing 90 minutes for the whole experience.
What is The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa like?
First off, it’s very much geared to families with small children and pre-teens. Many of the animatronic sculptures are set just off the path at roughly a young child’s eye level, and the snarls and howls are more intriguing than scary. Toothy mouths open and close, scaly tails swing back and forth, and the odd clawed foot (paw? hand?) waves through the air. Little ones will be entranced. Older pre-teens will likely regale their parents with dinosaur facts. (It’s pretty much guaranteed that the average 10-year-old knows more stats about pterodactyls and stegosauruses than their elders will ever recall.)
Second, if you’re bringing a stroller or a mobility aid, be prepared for some uneven ground. This is an outdoor attraction, after all! And don’t forget the sunscreen, water and hats, as much of The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa is set in open fields.
Third, there will be some food trucks on site, but the number and variety will vary by the day. (During Canada Day and Bluesfest, for instance, some of them may be committed elsewhere.) The organizers invite visitors to bring their own picnics as well.
Is The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa for adults or for kids?
To be honest, as an adult, I found The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa a bit disappointing. The animals are on timers, so they don’t move constantly. As a result, you sometimes have to wait patiently for a throaty roar and a majestic head nod. And while some of the critters peek mysteriously from behind trees or around bends in the trail, many are just scattered about a big field as though they’ve been dropped from a giant toy bag in the sky.
That being said…I am NOT the target market! The children I did see exploring the site today ran eagerly from statue to statue, laughing in glee when the dinosaurs began to move and rumble.
And only the most churlish of visitors could resist the temptation to take a photo inside a replica of a giant jaw or shoot a mock-terrified video in front of a hissing prehistoric creature. Here’s proof.
If you go to The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa
The Lost Kingdoms Ottawa attraction will be running at Wesley Clover Parks (401 Corkstown Road) from June 23 until July 9. The Wesley Clover Parks site is located at 401 Corkstown Road. That’s just north of the Queensway in the west-end Greenbelt, between March Road and Moodie Drive.
As mentioned, take the March Road exit from Highway 417 and drive east, then take the second entrance into the parks. When you exit, you’ll have to keep driving east to Moodie Drive, which will take you back to Highway 417.
Tickets start at $20 (children under 2 get in for no charge), and parking is free.
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As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.