February 22-March 22, 2025 | Hartman Prehistoric Garden

Dino Days activate the Hartman Prehistoric Garden at ZBG. Visitors are welcome to explore the flora and fauna present in Central Texas during the Cretaceous period as the Garden hosts family-friendly activities and interactive fossil presentations by local paleontologists. Visitors can register for make-and-take Prehistoric Planter Workshops or participate in the Dino Day Children and Pet Parade on the last day.

Dino Days are included with admission to the Garden, and free for members. Become a member today!

Event Schedule

Activities to Expect Every Weekend

Art Contest

Submit your best work for the Dino Days Art Contest! Local artists and students are encouraged to submit original dinosaur-themed art to participate in this year’s Dino Days Art Contest. All artwork must contain flora and fauna that best represents Texas during the Cretaceous Period. There will be 3 winners and the artwork chosen as “Best in Show” will be printed into a limited edition ZBG Postcard for the Garden’s Gift Shop.

All contest terms and conditions, categories, and prizes can be found via the button labeled “Submit Your Artwork” below.

Contest Dates: February 1-March 1. Winners will be announced on March 8.

Prehistoric Planter Workshops

Join us in the Auditorium for the prehistoric planter workshop to create your own miniature prehistoric landscape!  Each registrant will receive a planter and two prehistoric plants to create the landscape foundation. From there, decorations like rocks and sand can be added. Finally, a mini dinosaur will be added as it would be incomplete without one! Folks will take home everything they create and receive care instructions.  
Dates: March 8, 9, 15 at 10am

Garden admission is to be purchased separately.

Creative Movement: Dinosaur Adventure

Stomp, soar, and sneak like dinosaurs in this fun, movement-based class! Through dance, storytelling, and games, kids develop coordination, balance, and creativity while exploring the prehistoric world. Led by Lexi Beriswill. Recommended for “walkers” ages 4-9.

Dates: March 9 & 16 at 12pm

Includes admission to the Garden, free for members. Limited availability.

Specialty Program Partners (Select Dates)

Dinosaurs of Texas

Paleontologist BK Bones will share a peek back in time into prehistoric Texas, where fascinating dinosaurs and other amazing creatures roamed the wild. This show will guide young minds to remember a time long before the Alamo, (but will mention the dinosaur named Alamosaurus!) After the show, you’ll see why BK Bones calls the Lone Star State the (dinosaur) Bone Star State! Be ready to see a massive T. rex skull and an Iguanodon track. And of course, meet BK Bones’s amazing baby dinosaur puppet pal Roofus! 
Dates: March 1, 8, 15 at 11am

About BK Bones

BK Bones, aka Bethany Burke Franklin, is a paleontologist and science educator who shares her passion for the prehistoric with engaging talks and lively demonstrations designed for preschool and school-aged children. 

Bethany is currently the lead researcher on Texas Through Time’s marine reptile dig site. She has also served as a field intern at The Montana Dinosaur Center where she conducted field research at a dig site, prepped fossils in the lab, and led museum tours. She is a certified fossil preparator [please note: preparator is the correct term in paleontology] and member of many paleontological societies. She has also been a guest lecturer at several colleges. 

BK has recently joined a research team that has discovered a rare jaw fossil of the extinct sea reptile Mosasaurs and was interviewed for Live Science Magazine and quoted in Smithsonian Magazine in September 2024. Visit her website to learn more!

The Paleontological Society of Austin

The PSoA will lead interactive educational table with real bones and fossils. Visitors will be able to touch fossils and learn about fauna found in the Cretaceous period.
Dates: March 8, 15

About PSoA

The PSoA is a scientific, non-profit community-based organization devoted to the study of fossils. Their goals are: advancing the state of the science, educating the public, and collecting and identifying fossil specimens. Activities include: 

• Monthly meetings, field trips, and newsletters 
• An annual fossil show with educational programs for kids 
• Irregular technical publications 
• Educational presentations 
• Exchanges of specimens and information with amateur and professional paleontologists world-wide 

The focus is primarily on Texas fossils, fossil collecting in Texas and involvement with Central Texas organizations. 

Austin Parks & Recreation Park Rangers

Check out the special Skins & Skulls display or learn about the Bark Rangers program presented by the Austin Parks & Recreation Park Rangers! Park Rangers are ambassadors for Austin’s park system that promote responsible recreation, cultivate stewardship, and conserve parks’ cultural and natural resources for the benefit of our entire community.

Dates: March 8, 22

Closing Day Parade

Join us for the closing Dino Days parade on March 22nd as Big Wy’s Brass Band leads us through the Garden ending with a performance! Wear your dinosaur costumes and join in the fun!

About the Band

Born out of a love for jazz, Big Wy’s Brass Band brings a frenetic party wherever they play. The band performs at iconic Austin, TX venues such as Antone’s Nightclub and Continental Club. They have also represented the United States at International jazz festivals in Guatemala and Costa Rica. The band plays an eclectic mix of traditional New Orleans standards and funky originals. Whether it’s at a second-line wedding overlooking Lake Austin, Jazz festival in Antigua Guatemala, or a rocking house party, Big Wy’s aims to invite the listener on a wild ride through its brassy confections and irresistible grooves! 

A special thanks to our partners the Austin Parks & Recreation Park Rangers, Armadillo Clay & Supplies, and Jerry’s Artarama!