Giant moving dinosaurs proved a rex-cellent hit with the Yorkshire public after a record-breaking half a million people visited Leeds Jurassic Trail 3 this summer.

The free to see event, brought to the city by LeedsBID and a host of city centre partners, was the most popular yet for the city and it added an estimated £3.35 million to the Leeds economy in just over five weeks.

Surveys show the average group size visiting the trail, featuring 12 full size animatronic dinosaurs, was up on last year from three to four people, 70% of which visited Leeds primarily to see the trail, with 97% commenting it was excellent or good and 94% saying it made them proud to have the trail in Leeds.

Leeds Jurassic Trail 3 in numbers*:

• 509,000 visitors – up 200,000 year-on-year
• Economic impact of £3.35 million
• Average group size up to four from three
• GVA economic impact of £3.35 million
• 97% surveyed said it was excellent or good

A T-Rex the height of a house and a Spinosaurus in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal were just some of the creatures on display, making Leeds Jurassic Trail the UK’s biggest free city centre animatronic dinosaur event.

The event even secured children’s TV presenter Andy Day to be the face and voice of the trail, giving key facts and stats about many of the dinosaurs digitally. Live free events on Briggate and Lands Lane every weekend were backed up by story times and a baby dino hatchery inside John Lewis.

“We’ve crafted an event that hundreds of thousands of people could enjoy for free while rediscovering the amazing city centre that we have in Leeds. The economic boost it brought could not have come at a better time when our high streets needed it most in turbulent economic times. Now it’s all about moving onto the next big ideas for coming years that will see Leeds retain its place as the destination to visit in the country.”

Martin Dickson, Head of Marketing at LeedsBID.

Leeds Jurassic Trail 3 ran from July 30 to September 4, featuring partners Canal & River Trust, Child Friendly Leeds, Granary Wharf, Leeds City Council, Leeds Corn Exchange, Leeds Kirkgate Market, Leeds City Station, Merrion Centre, SOYO Leeds, St Johns Centre, The Core, Trinity Kitchen, Trinity Leeds, Victoria Leeds and John Lewis who all join forces on the event, and Heart Research UK.