Dinosaur exhibit coming to Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach
Dinosaurs are moving into Broadway at the Beach.
“Dinosaurs: The Exhibition” will open March 16 between Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and Ripley’s Aquarium in a roughly 8,000-square-foot space known as the “boat building,” said Jay Lodge, CEO of Spirit Touring Inc., which is bringing the attraction to Broadway and owns another property at Broadway, The Palace Theatre.
The $1 million attraction will have 25 animatronic dinosaurs that will move and roar, including the signature piece: a 20-foot tall, 25-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex. In addition to those figures featured in the “dinosaur walk,” there will be a soft play area where kids can climb over dinosaurs, a sandpit where kids can dig for dinosaur “bones” and a gift shop.
“We wanted to make it more of an experience,” Lodge said. “It’s a whole lot more engaging... It’s not just a look-at-dinosaurs thing. There’s a lot more to it.”
The exhibit has been successful in Europe, where it stopped in different cities, Lodge said. Crews are duplicating that exhibit to build it from scratch here, he said. Demolition in the building started last week.
“Broadway at the Beach was a natural fit for the exhibition due to it being the No. 1 entertainment and attraction destination in South Carolina attracting millions of visitors every year,” Lodge said in a post on the Palace’s Facebook page.
The dinosaur attraction will stay open at Broadway through August, when officials will determine whether it will become a year-round attraction, return in summer 2016 for the tourism season or end its run, Lodge said.
“It should do well,” he said. “We have high hopes for it.”
Broadway, like other attractions along the Grand Strand, aims to add a new offering every year to keep the attraction fresh for repeat visitors to the beach.
“With this being our 20-year anniversary, the Dinosaur Exhibition may be the most popular attraction we’ve ever introduced at Broadway at the Beach,” Melissa Armstrong, Broadway’s marketing director, said in a news release. “It’s certainly going to be a ‘must see’ for everyone who visits.”
Tickets will be $14.95 for adults and $9.95 for kids, according to prices listed on the attraction’s website, www.dinosaursmb.com. A family pass for two adults and two kids will be $44.95, according to the website. Tickets through the website are expected to go on sale next week, Lodge said.
This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Dinosaur exhibit coming to Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach."