Family : Dinosaurs Invade Pomona : A new exhibit at the L.A. County Fair takes visitors back to the Mesozoic Era.

What’s it like to land in the middle of a prehistoric jungle, surrounded by dozens of sneering, snorting dinosaurs? You’ll find out at the L.A. County Fair.

Fairgoers will be on a mission to figure out what happened in Fairplex 7a, where a plane has crash-landed on a mysterious building. Nearby is the base camp of a scientific expedition--but no trace of the scientists. You’ll see signs of dinosaurs amid blinking computer lights and upended equipment. A journal entry will lead you to a time portal. You’ll step through a fog--and into the Mesozoic Era.

This is the beginning of one of the most ambitious attractions ever attempted at the L.A. County Fair, opening today in Pomona and running through Sept. 26. “DinoQuest--The Search for the Lost Expedition” has transformed an entire Fairplex building into a prehistoric environment, inhabited by about 50 triceratops, a T. Rex and a stegosaurus. Lush vegetation, rocks and trees surround the creatures, which are so lifelike that they blink, breathe, butt heads and even spit.

The interior of the exhibit hall is painted completely black, giving the exhibit a theater-like setting.

“It’s a great effect,” said Sid Robinson, a spokesman for the fair. “This is something people are going to love--and the way these things move, . . . you see a T. Rex and it’s big and it’s scary. You’ll be glad it’s a robot.”

“DinoQuest” is the creation of Dinomation, an Irvine company that has manufactured replicas of dinosaurs, reptiles and other crawly critters since 1982. Although the company’s projects typically dwell in museums, wild nimal parks and exhibitions around the world, few are in California (Santa Ana’s Main Place Mall is one location).

That’s why the company is particularly eager, said spokesman Michael Converse, to unveil such a huge project in its own backyard. “We’re looking forward to making a big impression,” Converse said. “The fair is really pulling out all the stops.”

So is Dinomation. Converse refers to the fair project as a “super show.” In 43,000 square feet, it’s the largest the company has ever mounted. It also leans more toward entertainment.

“In museums and zoos, we have curators and education department heads in charge,” Converse explained. “Rather than a thrill or scare factor, the emphasis is on graphics and explanations.”

“DinoQuest” will emphasize the theatrical. The educational and comprehensive package will be there, Converse assured, “but we’re hoping for a much more dramatic experience.”

One dinosaur in the fair exhibit will have half its skin missing, so that the robotic mechanisms that make the dinosaur move are visible. Scientists and artists have worked together to bring the dinosaurs to life. Using actual fossil records, the creatures are created with steel, a thick foam material for the skin and a computer system that determines their movements.

At the end of the expedition, visitors are invited to a fossil dig, or they can listen to lectures and videos on how the dinosaurs were made. A paleontologist will be on hand to answer questions.

But the fair isn’t all about the past. Leap into the present at the Extreme Sports Park, another new attraction this year. Among the highlights are the national finals of the Extreme competition, taking place at the fair Sept. 17-19. Throughout the fair’s run, professional skaters will give exhibitions and clinics as well as compete.

The public can make use of the sports park too, during times between events. Safety equipment will be available to rent.

BE THERE

L.A. County Fair, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona. Through Sept. 26. Weekdays 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fridays 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Weekdays, ages 13 and older, $9; 12 and younger, free. Weekends, ages 13 and older, $10; ages 5-12, $5. Discounts for seniors and groups available. Opening day admission $1.99 for all ages. https://www.fairplex.com. (909) 623-3111.