Nelson Mandela Bay is about to get a little frosty — and it’s not because of the weather.
In February 2026, Boardwalk Hotel will transform into a prehistoric winter wonderland as the Ice Age Exhibition makes its long-awaited debut in the Friendly City.
Think towering mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers, and even hairy rhinos — not in textbooks, but brought to life through life-size animatronic models that walk, roar, and growl just as they would have thousands of years ago.
Add to that swirling snowflakes, igloos, and a digital snow world, and you’ve got an immersive experience that’s as educational as it is magical.
“This is the first time the Ice Age Exhibition will be coming to Gqeberha, and the excitement has been incredible,” organiser David Huni, who is no stranger to bringing science and entertainment together, said.
Huni and his team previously wowed crowds with their Dinosaur World Event’s Jurassic Giants Festival, working with Wits University to create scientifically accurate robotic dinosaurs.
The event was held in Gqeberha in October 2024.
Now, they’re shifting gears — or perhaps eras — to the Ice Age.
“We believe innovation is key. In today’s fast-paced world, you have to keep coming up with fresh ideas.
“The Ice Age is one of the most fascinating periods in history, so why not let people step right into it?”
Huni, originally from Zimbabwe, was adopted as a youngster by a Dutch couple and spent many years living in the Netherlands.
It was there that his adoptive parents shared their love for dinosaurs with him by taking him to various museums and exhibitions.
In 2013, he started recreating dinosaurs accurate to science.
While he started off small, in 2014, his team started going commercial with exhibitions.
He said he worked with a big team, comprising people in social media, administration, safety, transport and operations.
On the upcoming exhibition, Huni unpacked some of the highlights to be expected at the family-friendly event which runs over three days from February 20 to 22, from 9am to 9pm daily.
The event will also be held in Johannesburg and Durban, among other SA cities.
Spread across 19 interactive sections, the indoor exhibition promises to keep both children and adults entertained for hours.
The standard activities included in the entry range tickets are:
- Ice Age walk-through — wander among life-size creatures from the past;
- Fossil excavation station — let little ones dig up “bones” like budding archaeologists;
- Jumping castles and inflatable slides — a high-energy break between mammoth encounters; and
- Artificial snowflakes — because what’s an Ice Age without snow?
For those who opt for Gold or Diamond tickets, the experience only deepens.
This will gain you access to snow pits, igloo villages, virtual reality (VR) journeys into the frozen past, and even a Polar Bear photo studio.
And if that’s not enough, there are extra rides and activities, including bumper cars, electric trains, wooden sledges on synthetic snow, and glyptodon rides, where children can climb onto a life-size animatronic of the giant Ice Age armadillo.
Tickets are specifically tiered to suit different experiences and pockets, including:
- Silver tickets: from R190 for children or R250 for adults (early bird);
- Gold VIP tickets: from R400 for children or R500 for adults, with perks such as VIP entrances, documentaries, and snow play zones; and
- Diamond VVIP tickets: the full frosty adventure, including VR tours, igloos, immersive digital snow worlds, and more, starting from R800 for children and R900 for adults.
Group and family packages are also available, though it is advised to book early as there is limited indoor capacity.
Tickets can be booked at: port-elizabeth.iceagesa.com.
Pulling off an exhibition of this scale is no small feat.
“It takes at least eight super-link trucks to transport everything to the various cities,” Huni said.
“When we built a full-sized Tyrannosaurus rex for the dinosaur exhibition, it took us around three months — so you can imagine the effort behind these mammoths and sabre-tooths.”
He said they had chosen Boardwalk Hotel to host the event as it was one of the largest indoor venues in the city, and they needed ample space to accommodate an exhibition of this magnitude.
“We also want to be prepared for the weather elements so this way visitors will be sheltered if the weather turns and there can be no disappointment in us having to cancel the event at the last minute.”
Huni said the event was also perfect for school outings.
And it is history, entertainment, and adventure rolled into one snowy package — no jacket required (though it may feel like you need one).
The Herald
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