We Tried It: Expedition Dinosaur: Into the Deep

Photo: Laura Dornbush

What: Expedition Dinosaur: Into the Deep, an interactive dinosaur exhibit

Who: A multi-generational trio including a grandmother, a mom and an 8-year-old boy

Where: Bishop Museum

When: On display now through Jan. 25, 2026

Cost: Included with museum admission, $24.95 adult kama‘āina admission, $20.95 youth kama‘āina admission (ages 4–17)

SEE ALSO: 8 Amazing Things to Do With Kids

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? The fascination for the extinct species spans generations. And that’s exactly true in our case when myself, a millennial mom, my boomer mother-in-law, and my Gen Alpha son ventured out on a journey into the world of dinosaurs.

My son, Duke, developed an early obsession for all things related to dinosaurs, so, of course, we had visited Bishop Museum’s previous dino-themed exhibits in 2021 and 2018. We were excited that the new exhibit Expedition Dinosaur: Into the Deep, designed by Stage 9 Exhibits and co-produced with Brad Evans, Bishop Museum Director of Exhibits, had a different focus: marine reptiles.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

When we entered the expansive 7,000-square-foot space in the Castle Memorial Building, our eyes had to adjust to the darkness. Then the first thing we noticed were huge, life-like animatronic dinosaurs moving and roaring. Duke was drawn to all the common types first: T. Rex, Triceratops and Ankylosaurus. He wasn’t scared by all the roaring, but I was creeped out by the neck frill on the Dilophosaurus, which reminded me of a scene from Jurassic Park. Each dino replica had a poster next to it with quick facts, such as size and diet.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Next, we visited the animation studio where we used crayons to color pre-outlined dino shapes, scanned them and watched as our dinos hatched on the digital screen. We followed our dinosaurs (marked with our names) as they stomped around the virtual landscape.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

We continued with the hands-on exhibits by building volcanic terrain at the augmented reality sandbox. Similar to the ones at Kid City and the Hawai‘i Children’s Discovery Center, the landscape projection changes as the height of the sand changes. In this case, the highest sand piles transformed into volcanos.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Other interactive displays included a fossil scanner that identified various fossils and explained how they were formed, a Pangea puzzle table, as well as a Prehistoric Pixel Mosaic camera that transformed your selfie into a collage made of reptilian images.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Finally, we made it to the back of the exhibit space where the marine reptiles were hiding. We learned about dinosaurs I had never even heard of before: Dakosaurus, Ichthyosaurus and Liopleurodon, among others. These moved and made sounds as well.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Duke gravitated toward the fossil dig pit: a “sandbox” filled with recycled plastic mulch where kiddos can use brushes to uncover faux fossils, just like a real paleontologist. Even Duke’s grandmother got in on the digging action!

Photo: Laura Dornbush

We unknowingly saved the best for last: the Journey to the Deep Theater. When you step inside, it’s like stepping inside a real time machine. The 13-minute presentation transports you to the Mesozoic and Jurassic eras with believable lighting, projections and effects. Duke kept pointing and saying, “Woah!” I’ll stop my description there, so I don’t spoil the ending.

The timing of this new exhibition couldn’t be more perfect with school ending and parents looking for cool, indoor activities during the long summer days. Our family recommends it to anyone from toddlers to tūtū!

Photo: Laura Dornbush

SEE ALSO: We Tried It: Volcanic Wedgeee Waterslide at Wet ’n’ Wild Hawai‘i

Tips

• Save 20% on admission when you purchase your ticket online with code “DINO20.”
• Heads up that little kiddos may be scared of the huge, life-like dinos. Each replica has a motion sensor to activate movement and sound (i.e. roaring), so be careful where you stand.
• If you’re feeling overwhelmed, retreat to the exhibit’s quiet room with beanbags, a library of dino books and a screen showing the 1988 nostalgic movie, The Land Before Time (rated G).
• The exhibition space is very dark, making it challenging to capture the perfect family photo or Instagram selfie. Hold your phone as still as possible to get the clearest shots.
• Dino lovers will also want to catch the T. REX planetarium film ($3 admission), narrated by Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill. Check the showtimes online.

Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice St., Kalihi, bishopmuseum.org, @bishopmuseum

Laura Dornbush is a regular contributor to HONOLULU Magazine and HONOLULU Family.