Dinosaurs are coming to the Granite Run Mall

Daily Times: Dinosaurs are coming to the Granite Run Mall
Published: Monday, June 20, 2011


MEDIA — After months of rumors and confusion, the Granite Run Mall looks poised to add something new to shopping trips: Dinosaurs.

The mall recently announced a dinosaur museum slated to open on the lower level in the fall.

“We definitely think that we’ll become a destination,” said the mall’s marketing director, Aubrey Proud.

The mall is partnering with Don Lessem, the owner of Exhibitsrex Inc. to bring what is being billed as a “one-of-a-kind … Dinosaur-ium.”

Also known as Dino Don, Lessem owns the largest private collection of dinosaur fossils.

He worked as a technical adviser for Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jurassic Park” in 1993 and owns some of the mechanical, foam-and-resin dinosaurs from the movie.

The Granite Run Mall hopes to make its Dinosaur-ium comparable, but also cheaper, than other dinosaur museums in the area, like Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences’ Natural History Museum.

Proud said the mall’s Dinosaur-ium would be superior in its ticket price, ease of access and “lack of hassle.”

“It’s just the fact that you can walk into the mall and go to a museum,” he said.

The Dinosaur-ium will feature “life-size dinosaurs,” videos, a dinosaur dig pit and educational exhibits. Exhibits are expected to rotate every three to four months.

“It’s going to be a very interactive experience for kids and adults,” said Proud. “The designs are being finalized right now; it’s a little bit of a fluid process.”

Proud and organizers expect the exhibit to attract 100,000 visitors within the first year of operation. Hopes are that this will stimulate other stores and attract new stores for leases in the future.

“We think all of the stores will benefit from this,” he said.