Love dinosaurs? Love cars? Then a trip to Jurassic Gardens and the Volo Auto Museum is perfect for you! The newly added Jurassic Gardens was such a hit with my kids. We found over 30 dinosaurs that moved and made sound as well as plenty of photo opportunities, an arcade, a dino dig, and even a dino playground.

Getting started

Parking is free and plentiful. We then followed the arrows to the entrance and waited a few minutes to get our tickets.

All the dinosaurs

A couple roaring dinosaurs welcomed us as we were walked into the indoor building. Once we scanned our wristbands, we stepped into dino world.

We followed the one way path to see over 30 life-like dinosaurs moving and roaring. It was quite realistic! The kids tried guessing what the dinosaurs were before reading the plaques. They did a really great job bringing the Jurassic period back to life.

Tip: It may get really loud and can be a sensory overload. There are ear plugs available to purchase at the gift shop.

Dino Dig

When you walk in the kids will be tempted to dig in the Dino Dig. I liked that it was a pretty large space and digging equipment (brush and dustpan) are provided.

Photo ops

We found plenty of photo ops like stepping into a dinosaur egg or into a dinosaur mouth.

Arcade + More

The arcade has a few games including Jurassic Park, of course!

Gift shop

We exited the museum through the gift shop. Normally I usually zip past to avoid melt downs, but I found the prices were very, very reasonable. Plus, the kids liked reading the jokes on the wall.

Dinosaur Playground

Before (or after) your dinosaur adventure at Jurassic Gardens, you’ll want to hang around at the dino-themed playground.

Pro tip: There are plenty of picnic tables if you’d like to have your lunch or snack out here.

Volo Auto Museum

Since you are here, I highly, highly recommend visiting the Volo Auto Museum. Our last visit was fun but this time around they added even more! Even if you aren’t a car lover, you’ll have a blast! You’ll find cool, classic cars as well as famous cars found in movies! But oh, there’s so much more! A Disney section, old school RVs, tons of photo ops, trains, a carousel, vintage kiddie rides and arcade games. We easily spent 2 more hours viewing the rest of the museum.

Around the area:

• Take a quick .5 mile hike at Volo Bog. It’s all boardwalks and fun!
• Need food? We’ve tried Fratello’s in the past for their hot dogs and burgers. This time around we had pizza (half price on Mondays) at Sweet Melissa’s.
• Need dessert? Riverside Chocolate Factory in McHenry fits the bill. Great ice cream, candy, and chocolates.

Nitty Gritty

Website: https://www.volocars.com/jurassic-gardens
Address: Volo Auto Museum, 27582 Volo Village Rd, Volo, IL
Price: $15.95/person; 5 and under free. Combine Jurassic Gardens and Volo Auto Museum for Adults – $31.95, Children 5 to 12 – $24.95, Seniors (65 and over) – $29.95, Veterans and Military with ID card – $28.95

Tip: If you buy combo tickets they are good for both parks for two consecutive days!