Dino Parque Lourinhã

Dino Parque in Lourinhã, on the Silver Coast north of Lisbon, calls itself the largest open-air museum in Portugal. More than 200 life-size models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals stand among pine woods along six trails. The models are built to real scale, which is the whole point. A child who has only seen a Diplodocus in a book can stand next to one that stretches about 45 metres.

The park says its models are based on the science, and its scientific side is run with GEAL, the association behind the Museu da Lourinhã, which oversees fossil preparation and research in the region. The park sits on real dinosaur ground: important Jurassic fossils have been dug from the Lourinhã coast nearby.

The trails run through the history of life in order, so walking them is like walking through time.

1. Palaeozoic and early Triassic: the strange creatures that lived before the big dinosaurs, going back more than 400 million years.
2. Triassic: the first dinosaurs appear.
3. Jurassic: the trail that matters most locally, with animals found around Lourinhã and the giant 45-metre Diplodocus.
4. Cretaceous: the famous ones, including T. rex and Triceratops, and the story of how the dinosaurs died out.
5. Marine monsters: sea and lake animals from across 450 million years.
6. Ice Age (Cenozoic): opened in March 2023, a 500-metre trail with 14 models including mammoths and sabre-toothed cats.

Toddlers love the sheer size. Children aged 4 to 7 hunt for their favourites. Older children can follow the timeline and see how animals changed between periods.

Tickets also include the indoor museum, which is a good break from the sun or rain. It shows real fossils and replicas from the Museu da Lourinhã, including bones of Torvosaurus, which the park describes as the largest meat-eating dinosaur found in Europe. There is a dinosaur nest with eggs and the fossilised embryos of Lourinhanosaurus, a local dinosaur. The park mentions a nest of more than 100 eggs found in Lourinhã. A temporary exhibition of Ice Age fossils had palaeontologists on hand to answer questions when we checked.

In the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, you can watch the scientists at work: freeing fossils from the rock around them, cleaning them carefully and studying them. For a child who wants to be a palaeontologist, seeing the real job is the best part of the day.

The Paleo Camp is a children’s area where younger visitors dig for fossils, and the activities pavilion runs free “palaeontologist for a day” activities included in the ticket. These are hands-on and suit children who need to touch things.

The park runs two-hour birthday parties (10:30 to 12:30 or 14:30 to 16:30) with a Jurassic race, a fossil activity and a guided tour. When checked in September 2026 they cost €17.50 per child without food or €26.50 with a menu, and you ask for a date by online form. The page doesn’t say whether parents must stay. There’s also a schools programme and a brochure for teachers, which a home-education group could use. Groups of 20 or more pay €10.80 per child and €14.40 per adult.

An annual pass gives unlimited visits for the year, fast entry on busy days and a guided lab tour; ask the park for the price.

In late summer 2025 Dino Parque and the Museu da Lourinhã ran free two-hour guided walks to Praia do Caniçal, the cliffs where some of Portugal’s best-known dinosaur fossils were dug, including dinosaur eggs and sauropod bones. Walks met at the Forte de Paimogo above the beach, took 40 people each, needed booking and weren’t recommended for under-6s. Watch the park’s news to see whether they run again.

When checked in September 2026, tickets were €12 for ages 4 to 12 and €16 from 13, with under-4s free alongside a paying adult. Buying online saves 10%. Family tickets are sold only at the ticket office: €38 for two adults and one child, €48 for two and two, €59 for two and three, and €10 for each extra child. Work out which is cheaper for your group before you arrive.

The park opens every day. From October to March it’s 10:00 to 17:00, in April, May and September 10:00 to 18:00, and from June to August 10:00 to 19:00. Last entry is 90 minutes before closing, which fits the park’s advice to allow at least three hours.

Most of the park is outdoors on woodland paths, so it suits a mild day better than a scorching one or a downpour. Bring hats, water and decent shoes. The park says it’s fully accessible, so a buggy works, but it doesn’t lend buggies or wheelchairs. Bikes, scooters and skateboards need an adult watching. Lockers are available.

You can bring a picnic and eat in the marked areas, which keeps costs down. There’s also a restaurant with burgers, “Dino Box” meals, salads and vegetarian options, and a snack bar.

Dogs are welcome on a lead, with a muzzle where the law requires it, except in the restaurant and shop.

Once you leave, your ticket is used up, so there’s no nipping back to the car for lunch.

Lourinhã is on the coast, so a beach can round off the afternoon in warm weather. For real dinosaur tracks, visit the Pedra da Mua footprints at Cabo Espichel or the Serra de Aire dinosaur footprints near Fátima. In Lisbon, the Museu Geológico has more dinosaur bones. The walled town of Óbidos is in the same part of the Silver Coast, and Pastelaria Havaneza in Torres Vedras is on the way back towards Lisbon.

How much is Dino Parque for children?

€12 for ages 4 to 12 when checked in September 2026, with under-4s free and 10% off online. Adults paid €16. Family tickets from €38 are sold at the gate.

How long do you need at Dino Parque?

The park suggests at least three hours. Many families stay most of the day, especially with a picnic.

Can you take a buggy or wheelchair?

Yes. The park says it’s fully accessible, though it doesn’t lend equipment.

Can you bring your own food?

Yes, you can picnic in the marked areas. There’s also a restaurant and snack bar.

Is it good for toddlers?

Yes. Under-4s go free, the paths are buggy-friendly and the giant models impress at any age. The dig area suits them too.

Are dogs allowed at Dino Parque?

Yes, on a lead, except in the restaurant and shop.