ST. GEORGE, Utah — Thunder Junction, the beloved dinosaur-themed park in St. George, is adding a new twist to its attractions this weekend by transforming into Shamrock Junction for its first-ever St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
The park, which opened in 2016 as an all-inclusive space for visitors of all abilities, is known for dinosaur themes and festive decorations. Previously, Thunder Junction has dazzled guests with special Halloween and Christmas events. Now, for the first time, it’s embracing Irish charm with a St. Patrick’s Day makeover.
Visitors can expect a search for gold, a live magic show, and an opportunity for kids to create their own living pots of plants. The park’s usual attractions — including the train, zip line, and dinosaur-themed play areas — will still be available.
For 7-year-old Estella Macias, a visitor from Cedar City, the combination of dinosaurs and St. Patrick’s Day is an interesting mix.
“Well, I really like the zip line and the train, and I really like the slides,” Estella shared. “Saint Patrick lived a long time ago and dinosaurs lived a long time ago, but dinosaurs lived way longer ago than Saint Patrick did.”
Thunder Junction has earned a reputation as a must-visit destination. St. George Recreation supervisor Hannah Keller calls it “the Disneyland of Southern Utah.”
Ryan Farnsworth, a Thunder Junction lead, agrees that the park offers something for everyone.
“If they love dinosaurs, if they love trains, if they love just being in a fun environment with other fun kids that are just having a good time, it's a great place to be,” Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth, who grew up in Salt Lake City with a passion for trains, now has the unique opportunity to engineer the park’s C.P. Huntington train — a one-fourth scale replica of the historic locomotive from the mid-1800s.
“One of the perks that I get in driving the train is just seeing all the happy faces and how excited people are,” he said.
St. Patrick’s Day may not be widely celebrated in St. George, but Thunder Junction hopes to change that.
“You know, it’s not really celebrated big-time here in St. George,” Farnsworth noted. “You know, Saint George? Saint Patrick's Day. Yeah, a different saint.”
Estella, eager to embrace the Irish spirit, added: “And I really like Irish music. And I think I'm part Irish or Scottish descent, but I am not sure which.”
