Dinosaurs may be a thing of the past, but our fascination with them is timeless. Whether it’s an obsession born from seeing ‘life find a way’ in a beloved blockbuster film franchise or a child’s wide-eyed wonder at discovering mysterious creatures from a land before time (apologies for any millennial flashbacks caused by the mere mention of that heart-wrenching film), dinosaurs are a treasure trove of education and entertainment. If you’ve been wanting to treat that dino-mad person in your life, we’ve rounded up a few things to do in London that will take you on a true Jurassic journey…
1. Devour a dinosaur-themed afternoon tea
Photo: The Ampersand
Treat you and your dino-obsessed companion to a taste of the prehistoric with the Jurassic-themed afternoon tea at Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington. Taking you on a gastronomical adventure, back to the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the tea features a tempting array of themed dishes and bites. As well as the classics of scones and sandwiches, you can feast on T-Rex footprint macarons, a mango and lime flavoured volcanic eruption and a mini fossil biscuit buried in chocolate ‘soil’. Plus, for the little ones, there’s jelly dinosaurs, egg nests, T-Rex foot cheese straws and more.
2. Meet the prehistoric residents of Jurassic World: The Experience
Step through the big screen and explore the prehistoric wilds of Jurassic World at the thrilling experience in Battersea Power Station. One of cinema’s biggest blockbusters has been unleashed on London, inviting you to meet gentle giants, face off with the clever girls in the raptor paddock, study the amber-trapped specimens behind it all in the Creation Lab and even set your eyes on the water-rippling, bone-crushing icon that is the Tyrannosaurus Rex. With detailed animatronics bringing these dinosaurs to life, this is the closest you’ll get to the real thing. Grab your tickets here.
3. Marvel at the majesty of dinosaurs at Lightroom
Credit: Lightroom
Enjoy a breathtaking immersion in the story of dinosaurs and the ripples their legacy has sent through time at Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs. The 360-degree experience, located at Lightroom, just a 10-minute wander from King’s Cross, is a captivating fusion of CGI sequences and bespoke illustrations, featuring moments from the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ show Prehistoric Planet. Narrated by acclaimed actor Damian Lewis and set to an original score by the multi-Academy Award-winning Hans Zimmer, this gripping spectacle will plunge you into the prehistoric era as you witness dinosaurs living through dramatic moments in their lives.
4. Meet the mysterious new dinosaur at the Natural History Museum
Credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.
There’s still plenty to learn about the prehistoric world, and there is no better example of this than the once misclassified dinosaur that is now on permanent display at the Natural History Museum. The Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae (meaning ‘mysterious runner’) is a small herbivore dinosaur the size of a dog that would have evaded predators with its speedy, long legs. You can feast your eyes on its fossil remains on the balcony in the museum’s Earth Hall, before going on to explore the exhibits of its famous neighbours, including part of the first T-Rex skeleton ever discovered, the skull of a Triceratops and the fascinating armoured dinosaur Scolosaurus.
5. Embark on an intriguing dinosaur trail in King’s Cross
Dinosaur trail, King’s Cross
This is a perfect prehistoric prelude to a visit to Lightroom, where you can discover the dinosaurs that have roamed around King’s Cross on this kid-friendly trail. A fun escapade for all the family, this trail invites you to download a map and solve clues to follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs who have been spotted in the neighbourhood. Identify the difference between claw marks and tail marks, jot down the number of toes in footprints and hunt for evidence of dinosaurs among the trees. Once completed, you can head over to Lightroom to receive a special prize.
6. Discover the historic dinosaurs of Crystal Palace
Credit: HTA Design
If you’re after accurate representations of the Jurassic giants, this probably isn’t the place to go. But, if you want to embrace every weird and wonderful iteration of dinosaurs through the ages, then this Grade I-listed site will make for a fascinating outing. The Crystal Palace dinosaurs are over 30 paleontological sculptures found among the trees of Crystal Palace Park and are the first ever attempt in the world to create full-scale, 3D statues of extinct animals, surmised from fossil remains. They were constructed in 1853-1855 and have remained residents of the park ever since, even being frequented by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at one point.
While some would perhaps be more at home among the failed dinosaur experiments in Jurassic World: Rebirth, these statues show the evolution of our understanding of dinosaurs. Find out more about visiting these curious creatures here.