Best family friendly attractions to try in 2021

Giant lifelike animatronic dinosaurs will roar to life at the zoo, blockbuster movies will be shown at Pentridge Prison and there are new Wildlife Wonder nature walks to discover.

Xavier Soccio in front of Tyrannosaurus rex at "Zoorassic" at Werribee Zoo.

Giant lifelike animatronic dinosaurs have roared to life at the zoo, blockbuster movies are being shown at Pentridge Prison and there are new Wildlife Wonder nature walks to discover.

DINOS AT THE ZOO

Open now

Giant lifelike animatronic dinosaurs have roared to life after a winter/pandemic hibernation and settled in until the end of summer at Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo.

At Healesville, discover Lost Sanctuary’s giant animatronic dinosaurs and megafauna in the forest, meet the mega keepers and learn how they train and care for these wild beasts, and walk in the footprints of a T-Rex. At Werribee, visit Zoorassic to take a journey along a prehistoric river trail and see more than 10 ancient animatronic giants. And at Melbourne Zoo, head to Dino Lab, where the littlies can explore a jungle of life-sized moving dinosaurs and check out the cute baby dinos. The dino experience is included in entry at each zoo, and kids visit free on weekends, school holidays and public holidays.

The new Arid Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.

ARID GARDEN

Royal Botanic Gardens, open now

A day at Melbourne’s majestic Royal Botanic Gardens just became even more magical after the recent opening of the Arid Garden, featuring more than 3000 cacti and succulents.

Plan your visit for a sunny day — some of the cacti flower for only a couple of hours at a time. Enter through Gate C on Anderson Street. You’ll find pram-friendly paths, plenty of benches, sculptures, and templates for crayon rubbings for the kids. Combine it with a visit to the ever-popular Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, where the kids can explore

a bamboo forest, wetlands, a plant tunnel, water feature and kitchen garden.

Eastern grey kangaroos at new attraction Wildlife Wonders near Apollo Bay.

WILDLIFE WONDERS

Apollo Bay, opens early 2021

Explore our great state’s wild side at this new conservation park along the Great Ocean Road near Apollo Bay, 2.5 hours’ drive from Melbourne. A conservationist guide will lead an hour-long wander through the bush, sharing the secrets of the native Otways animals living freely within a protected habitat area. Keep the kids’ eyes peeled for koalas, potoroos, bandicoots and kangaroos in the bushland, and soak up spectacular ocean views. All profits go to the Conservation Ecology Centre, to support its work protecting the Otways’ native plants and animals.

Pentridge Prison in Coburg is the site of the new 15-cinema Pentridge Cinemas, opening on December 11.

PENTRIDGE CINEMA

Officially opens December 11

Lock yourself in for a sensational summer of blockbuster viewing in one of Australia’s most unusual cinema settings. Once home to some of Australia’s most infamous criminals, the jail established in 1851 and dubbed the “Bluestone College” now houses a 15-screen Palace cinema. It’s part of the transformation of Pentridge Prison in Coburg into a lively village featuring newly opened restaurants, bars, cafes and fashion stores. The metamorphosis from jailhouse to cinema house promises fully reclining chairs in all 15 auditoriums, a licensed menu — you can even take your drink in — and underground parking.