Dinosaurs Coming to Granite Run Mall

The Granite Run Mall won't be just a place to shop anymore, it will soon house a dinosaur museum, too. 

The Granite Run Mall and Dino Don, Inc. announced Friday that a new museum called, Dinosaur-ium will open at the mall, managed by Madison Marquette. 

The project is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, according to Aubrey Proud, marketing director for the mall. 

The museum will be open during mall hours and will be located on the lower level of the mall, adjacent to the center court, according to Proud. 

Don Lessem, also known as Dino Don, is the owner of the largest private collection of dinosaurs in the United States and owns the original dinosaurs from the Jurassic Park movie, where he was a technical advisor, according to Proud. 

Lessem, a Media resident, discussed the museum idea with mall representatives and the Dinosaur-ium idea was born. 

"I love the idea of sharing the wonder of discovering dinosaurs with my Delaware County neighbors. As an overgrown 8 year old, I can’t think of anything cooler than seeing giant dinosaurs in my neighborhood mall," Lessem said. 

The museum is expected to have a dinosaur dig pit, educational exhibits, life size skeletons, fossils, videos, a gift shop and of course many dinosaurs and interactive opportunities. The exhibits will rotate every few months to allow for repeat visits and new experiences, according to Proud. 

"We are so excited to have the one-of-a-kind Dinosaur-ium coming to the Granite Run Mall," Proud said. "This unique museum should be quite interesting for families in Delaware County and beyond, and fits perfectly with our interest to improve the overall shopping experience for our community."