In the inimitable words of Samuel L. Jackson’s Ray Arnold, hold onto your butts; Jurassic World: The Exhibition is coming to London. From August 25, prehistoric life will find a way once more, with dinosaurs from the cinematic blockbuster clawing their way out of the big screen to be viewed in all their needle-toothed, long-necked or water-rippling glory inside the sprawling ExCeL London. You’ll be able to channel your inner Alan Grant as you encounter life-sized dinosaurs up close, take in the amber-trapped specimens of Hammond Lab and even meet some baby dinos.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a real Jurassic World experience without some whopping wooden gates to wander through. You’ll no doubt be humming the iconic tune in your head as they open dramatically to reveal the expansive space of ExCel London transformed into a prehistoric wilderness; floors appear dappled with sunlight that has shone through a tangle of branches, while ferns and leafy branches will sprout from every corner, giving the illusion that you have truly stepped into the millennia-old forests of the Jurassic period. Look out for glinting teeth or beady yellow eyes gleaming among the shrubbery – you might be doing the viewing but chances are there’s a scaly-something watching you right back.
On your exploratory stroll through Jurassic World: The Exhibition you’ll discover all manner of roarsome dinosaur delights. Gaze up at the treetop-munching Brachiosaurus – one of the largest creatures to ever roam the earth – get close (as you dare) to the clever girls of the raptor paddock and pay a visit to the Tyrannosaurus Rex where you’ll hear that rumbling roar and witness that bone-crushing grin with your own two eyes. Each incredible roaring and moving dinosaur has been re-created with fascinating detail, so you can take in every scale, pointed talon and jagged horn up close with none of the realism lost.
It’s not all chomping jaws and deadly glares, there’s some adorable wide-eyed residents that are sure to delight visitors of all ages. You can snap a selfie with a baby raptor, pterodactyl or even the beloved Bumpy (an Ankylosaurus) from Camp Cretaceous. Plus, you may even get to peek at the tiny Parasaurolophus babies in their incubator.
Jurassic World: The Exhibition is a must for fans of the epic film franchise. Not only can you put yourself in the mud-splattered boots of Owen Grady (or if you fancy a challenge, the slightly more precarious white heels of Claire Deering) as you immerse yourself in interactive scenes inspired by the hit films, but you can also see where it all started: Hammond Creation Lab. Inside, you’ll find out how geneticists discovered the secret to bringing these prehistoric creatures back to life – hint: it all comes down to a certain mosquito that was entombed in amber all those years ago. Be sure to grab tickets now to be first in line to discover this world of dinosaurs right on your doorstep.