With its rich history in paleontology, Alberta has long held a deep appreciation of the creatures that roamed the province’s land millions of years ago.

With attractions such as the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller and the Jurassic Forest in Gibbons drawing in millions each year, it should come as no surprise that the world-renowned Walking with Dinosaurs tour has drawn considerable interest in Calgary.

Kicking off on Wednesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome, Walking with Dinosaurs will take audiences on a prehistoric journey that runs through all 200 million years that dinosaurs existed.

In its $20 million stage show, Walking with Dinosaurs brings 17 creatures from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to life in spectacular fashion.

“It’s a look at both the Earth’s history as well as dinosaurs history,” assistant tour manager Nellie Beavers said. “I think it is the closest people will ever come to seeing what a live dinosaur was like.”

It takes three people to control each dinosaur and while each show is tightly choreographed, every night will be slightly different for audiences thanks to these puppeteers.

“Even the eyes are controlled by the puppeteers,” Beavers said. “Say there is an audible gasp from the audience – the eyes may move to that section of the crowd or a person who made a noise. It can be really personal. It’s really exciting to see the audience’s reaction.”

Beavers also noted that while the dinosaurs themselves are the main attraction, the stage show as a whole is what makes the Walking with Dinosaurs experience so special.

“We have over 300 lights, a great stage and audio,” she stated. “It’s not only the creatures that they (the audience) are impressed with it. It’s everything combined - it blends into a spectacular show.”

Walking with Dinosaurs begins its five-day Calgary tour on Wednesday at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Select tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.