Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski / Shawn Benner II watches his children, Sylvi Benner, 5, and Tristan Benner, 7, all of Patton, take in an animatronic triceratops dinosaur at the I Heart Cookies dinosaur exhibit promotion in the Lowe's Home Improvement parking lot in Altoona on Monday afternoon.

The native white-tail deer, eastern cottontails and gray squirrels of Blair County were supplanted by velociraptors, stegosaurs and ankylosaurs as the I Heart Cookies pop-up brought a family-friendly exhibition of animatronic dinosaurs to Altoona on Monday afternoon.

I Heart Cookies, a Kansas-based sweet treat food truck company, tours the country annually offering an engaging experience for children alongside a selection of nine flavors of deep-dish cookies, according to employee Dashawn Blick.

The pop-up stopped in Sunbury, Lewistown, Lock Haven, Williamsport and State College before arriving in the parking lot of Lowe’s in Altoona on Monday. Its next stop is Lowe’s in Johnstown today, Aug. 5, Blick said.

Reactions from attendees, typically parents with their young children, have been really positive so far, Blick said, with dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages enjoying the event.

More than 200 people from across the region stopped by the pop-up when it opened Monday, with the line stretching across the Lowe’s parking lot. Visitors only needed to purchase a deep-dish cookie to gain admission to the dinosaur exhibition.

I Heart Cookies sources the near-life size animatronic dinosaurs from specialty dinosaur conventions, choosing the ones that will best entertain children who stop by, Blick said.

These dinosaurs can produce a variety of roars and growls, and are accompanied by placards offering information on their species and ecosystem.

Altoona native Erica Duvall brought her three children to the pop-up after hearing about the event on Facebook, saying that two of her children are big fans of dinosaurs.

Her kids enjoyed getting to see the dinosaurs up close, she said.

Jamie and Jeffrey Ruffiry brought their infant daughter Montana from their home in Duncansville to hear the sounds the dinosaurs can make.

The Ruffiry family are fans of the dinosaur cult classic film franchise “Jurassic Park,” so attending the event seemed like a great idea for a fun summer afternoon, Jamie Ruffiry said.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.