Jurassic World: The Exhibition Review

Do you have a dinosaur-loving youngster in your house? A fearless adventurer who is obsessed with these roarsome creatures? A child who loves been transported to whole new worlds? We recently ventured to Jurassic World: The Exhibition at Sydney Olympic Park and can share, it was out of this world. In fact, I have an 8 year old and 6 year old who are convinced dinosaurs are very much still alive today and a 4 year old who still wants to snuggle a T-rex to sleep, but doesn’t want to go near the exhibition again (a little too lifelike!). Wondering what to expect? Here’s what you will find with our Jurassic World: The Exhibition review…

Entering Jurassic World

You can’t simply step into Jurassic World – it’s a journey! We boarded the ferry and took a trip to the island and stepped out in a whole new world. We walked through the gates of Jurassic World and were greeted by a friendly Brontosaurus. The girls beelined right up to him (moving and very lifelike), but by this stage 4-year-old Elliot was already a little afraid and held back. Everything: the setting, the dinosaur, the sound effects, was so incredibly well done, it’s easy to see why the girls were so convinced everything was real.

Hands On Fun

We made our way down the path and met another dinosaur popping up from a trailer and then entered the incubator room, which is what solidified the idea of dinosaurs still being alive.

The staff were amazing, showing the kids the baby dinosaurs – which my 8 year old will tell you were breathing on their own and created using DNA of old dinosaurs.

There were dinosaur eggs, you could touch dinosaur poo and you could even pat baby dinosaurs – but only if you held out the back of your hand and went gently.

The next room was just as hands-on with a real archaeological dig (well…real enough for the kids). They had a great time finding bones and being taught how to be gentle in the process.

MEET THE VELOCIRAPTORS

Turn a corner and things get a little more realistic and scary at the same time. You are met with the velociraptor holding pen! Except… the end one is empty and Blue is missing. No, he hasn’t escaped (like we told the kids) but was being trained next door.

Again, you do have to wait you turn to go in the next room, which is indeed a velociraptor training show, where Blue comes out. The kids were definitely feeling a little wary now, although my six year old spotted the human legs at the bottom of the costume and breathed a sigh of relief. Cassie (8) finally conceded this dinosaur wasn’t real, but the babies definitely were…

Once you’re done with the show, you come out to more moving dinosaurs and even the gyrosphere’s from Jurassic Park that you can sit in.

The Grand Finale

The final room, which again you have to wait your turn for, isn’t for the faint hearted. This time, a dinosaur does get out on the loose and it’s none other than the T-Rex. A whole show happen before your eyes as two T-rex’s roar it out above your heads while you’re literally stuck in the middle! I had all three kids clinging to me at this stage and the younger two crying (my six year old was fine once I assured her it wasn’t real again).

You then have to walk past them to get to the exit, which was a dash for us!

Overall Thoughts: Jurassic World Exhibition review

The entire exhibition was so well done, with ever scene thought-out and interactive. You really did feel like you had entered a whole other land and it was easy to be convinced it was all very, very real. My four year old still loves dinosaurs but is happy to never go back, while the girls can’t stop talking about it and sussing out how they can get their very own baby dino to raise!

There are a few spots along the journey you have to wait, and I can imagine this will get quite crowded during the holidays! So make sure you budget enough time to make it through.