While some spent their break traveling to far off destinations and tropical getaways, those who saw “Walking With Dinosaurs” at Rockford’s MetroCentre were transported back in time over millions of years, to a land of creatures only seen in books and museums.

The show has been selling out performances all over America, and with all of the work put into the creation of the show, it is not hard to see why.

The show took over six years to create, requires a crew of 150 people to stage, and 25 tractor trailers to transport the 30 tons of dinosaurs and their scenery. However, when the lights dim and the show begins, the hours of work put into this breathtaking performance pay off.

Huxley the paleontologist, played by Jonathan Bliss, serves as the guide, describing the vivid landscapes and telling the audience about the giant beasts as they appeared on stage.

He kept the mood light and fun by throwing in silly lines such as “Please turn off your cell phones, as you will not be getting reception for the next 150 million years or so” and “The Triassic period occurred around 250 BCT which, for those of you that do not know, means Before Cheap Trick.”

As the scenery changes, the audience is taken through the evolution of dinosaurs during their reign on Earth.

From the beginning, the show is non-stop action. After the first dinosaur is introduced, it faces a predator, and the two battle it out for the life of the freshly hatched offspring. There is a cast of 15 dinosaurs in all, some very familiar such as the Stegosaurus, and the ever popular Tyrannosaurus Rex, but other dinosaurs were not as familiar such as the Liliensternus, Plateosaurus, Allosaurus, and Torosaurus. All of these creatures were massive in size, with every detail taken into consideration to make them look as real and alive as possible.

Though the visuals were amazing and extremely lifelike, the fights left more to be desired. It is understandable that the dinosaurs are not going to be attacking each other with full contact, considering the cost and work put into each animal, and the young audience.

It seemed that though some viewers were a bit displeased with the lack of violence in the fights, many children in attendance were just thrilled to see their favorite dinosaurs resurrected before their very eyes.

Jolie Linhart, 7, said she was excited to see her favorite dinosaur, the towering Brachiosaurus: “They don’t eat people and they looked really cool.”

Another dinosaur enthusiast, Andrew Zbrzeski, 6, said he could not wait to see the T-Rex in the second act, “because they are so loud!”

Zbrzeski had already done his research, watching excerpts of the show on the Internet and was a self-proclaimed dinosaur expert. When asked if he thought that a Stegosaurus could beat his beloved T-Rex in a prehistoric standoff, he looked appalled and notified onlookers that no dinosaur could beat the T-Rex.

The Rockford show marked a milestone.

Ashton Banker, 4, of Janesville, Wis., received the title of the millionth guest as he entered the Metro with his grandmother, father and cousin to celebrate his fifth birthday. Donned in a T-Rex tail and teeth, he accepted a gift basket from general manager Jim Brandenbury.