Jurassic World: The Exhibition Delivers the Pre-Historic Excitement
For many of us 90s kids, sitting in the front row of the movie theater was the place to be. Up on top of that silver screen with a group of friends, snacking on candy, and getting the shit scared out of us was the ideal way to spend a summer day. So many times I wished I could jump from my seat and into the world that was in front of me, handcrafted and complex, each land being more fantastical than the last.
One of the fondest memories I have from those days, spent in the chill of the theater, is that of seeing Jurassic Park. The first, epic movie of the now multi-film and theme park attraction franchise was unlike anything I had seen before. It was action-packed; it was scary; it was funny; it was majestic. The arial scenes of the far-away destination, the close-up shots of the T-Rex in all her horrific beauty, the creepy sex-appeal of the lustrous Jeff Goldblum—It was pure perfection.
So, when I recently heard that Universal Live Entertainment had partnered with the National Western Complex in Denver to create the immersive Jurassic World: The Exhibition, the little kid in me jumped up and down and begged mom and dad to take me. (Albeit, I’m now 36 years old and can very easily take myself.) I was excited, I was hopeful, and I was a bit skeptical, honestly. How could an attraction bring death-defying dinosaurs to my backyard and actually be cool? I was willing to check it out, just to see.
It was a windy, snowy, bitterly cold afternoon the day my partner, and I decided to roam toward the brand new Stockyards Event Center of the National Western Center. The day already felt like the start of a movie; as we drove onto the lot, I felt the anticipation begin in the bottom of my tummy and work its way toward my heart. Seeing the signs guide us from the highway up to the parking lot, I was eager and impatient, and ready to meet these meet the magnificent creatures at last.
From the moment we stepped into Jurassic World: The Exhibition until the moment we left, we were transported through time and space and it felt exactly like I imagined the real Jurassic Park to feel. First we took a boat ride to enter the park, and from water to land, the stage was set. It was tropical: palms, ficus, and bird of paradise plants galore. Sounds of toucans and rustling leaves filled the atmosphere, and with a faint smell of citrus in the air, I knew exactly where I was: the land I had dreamed of since I was 7.
Park guides led us to various parts of the exhibition, from room to room and dinosaur to dinosaur. We got to meet baby critters and pet tiny dinos—I was in heaven. As we made our way through the expansive, 20,
All-in-all, it was a silly and fun way to spend the day. While we made it out safely, all fingers and toes intact, the kiddo inside me was, at times, scared down to the bone. I immediately called my big brother after we left Jurassic World: The Exhibition and told him that not only would he get something out of walking through the experience, my 5-year-old niece would also have a great time. A time in our lives that we may be long past, my brother and I can still fondly recall vivid memories of watching the movie together, and now we can have new memories of seeing it IRL.
So, whether you have the nostalgia of the Jurassic Park movies like me, you have little ones in your life who are obsessed with dinosaurs, or you’re simply looking to do something fun and cool on a weekend afternoon, Jurassic World: The Exhibition may have exactly what you’re looking for. Besides, a little fear may do the body some good.
The exhibition remains in Denver through September 9 and visitors can grab tickets at JurassicWorl
Photos courtesy of Universal Studios
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