A Prehistoric Adventure with Plantosaurus Rex at San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers

Walking into Golden Gate Park's magnificent Victorian Conservatory of Flowers is always a bit like stepping back in time. But through October 21, 2012, the Conservatory will transport visitors even further back in time than the 19th century with their newest exhibit, Plantosaurus Rex. Visitors to Plantosaurus Rex will encounter realistic model dinosaurs lurking within the Conservatory and surrounded by the plants that they were familiar with back in prehistoric times.

The first sign that something's not quite business as usual is the sight of a Tyrannosaurus Rex's fearsome looking head popping out of the glass Conservatory roof! (Don't worry—it's not really breaking throught the roof, it's just a clever and fun illusion.)

Inside, you'll see numerous examples of ancient plants from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, including ferns, horsetails, gingkos, coast redwoods, and orchids, along with the dinosaurs that ate them, like a life-sized baby Stegosaurus. You'll also see models of fearsome carnivores that ate the plant-eating dinosaurs, like the T Rex (or the rest of it, anyhow) and an Allosaurus.

In addition to the fascinating prehistoric plants and dinosaurs, there's also a miniature volcano that "erupts" with the push of a button, shaking the floor, emitting smoke, and glowing red. Though small, it really added to the prehistoric experience. While the dinosaurs are an obvious attraction for kids of all ages, it's really fascinating to see ancient plants that are still commonly found among us today. It's really mind blowing to thing they've been around, virtually unchanged, for millions of years.

The exhibit itself isn't all that big, occupying one of the wings of the Conservatory building, but there's plenty to see, and children definitely won't get bored. It's a great reason to take a family outing to Golden Gate Park. Make sure you bring your lunch and picnic blanket and enjoy the beautiful lawn and flowers in front of the Conservatory. It's a popular place for relaxing and enjoying the park on a beautiful summer day.

While you're there, make sure you take a look around the rest of the Conservatory of Flowers. Don't miss the rooms with tropical carniverous plants, aquatic plants, a 100-year-old giant philodrendron, and more. This huge and ornate Victorian greenhouse is truly a Bay Area treasure; it dates from the 1870s and is one of the few left anywhere in the world.

For more information on the Conservatory of Flowers and Plantosaurus Rex, visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org or call (415) 831-2090.

If You Go

The Conservatory of Flowers is located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park at 100 John F. Kennedy Drive. It's open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 am–4:30 pm (last entry at 4 pm); closed Mondays except Memorial Day and Labor Day. This exhibit runs through October 21, 2012.

Admission is $7 for adults ($5 for San Francisco residents, with proof of residency), $5 ($3 residents) for youth 12–17, seniors 65+, and college students with ID, $2 ($1.50 residents) for children 5–11, and free for children 4 nd under. Admission to the Conservatory is free on the first Tuesday of the month.

To get there, take Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge, and take the Highway 1/19th Avenue exit onto Park Presidio Avenue. Follow Park Presidio and turn right on Balboa Street, left on 14th Avenue, and left again onto Cabrillo Street. Follow Cabrillo and turn right on 10th Avenue to enter the Music Concourse Garage, or continue to turn right onto 8th Avenue to enter into Golden Gate Park.

Limited four-hour street parking is available in the park; paid parking is in the park's Music Concourse Garage. Please note that on Sundays throughout the year and Saturdays from April through September many of the roads in Golden Gate Park are closed to vehicular traffic.