Inside epic new Jurassic World at the Trafford Centre with huge life-sized moving dinosaurs

The immersive exhibition is a true epic – with huge life-sized dinosaurs for you to meet (or run from) inside

There’s a truly epic new exhibition now open in Manchester for dinosaur fans young and old – as the acclaimed Jurassic World has swung open its doors at the Trafford Centre. The immersive attraction has previously played in London, but now Manchester gets it for the first time this summer.

Based on the blockbuster Jurassic Park movie series, dino fans can get up close and personal with a raft of huge life-sized, moving dinosaurs. Guests get to enter “Jurassic World” after a simulated boat trip out to the island where the likes of Triceratops, Brachiosaurus and Parasaurolphus roam.

And at the finale, guest of all ages may well find they’re cowering when the most fearsome dinosaur of all – the mighty T-Rex – roars to life right before your eyes.

Ticketholders get to walk through a series of different rooms within the attraction, including a science lab where the Jurassic World boffins hatch new baby dinosaurs. Visitors will also get to scan eggs to see which baby dinos are inside.

Then youngsters will love getting to meet a number of baby dinosaurs carried by rangers inside the exhibition, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous that is currently on Netflix.

Billed as a “family friendly exhibit of massive proportions based on one of the biggest blockbuster franchises in cinema history”, visitors will walk through the iconic Jurassic World gates and explore richly themed environments.

The first encounter is with an epic life-sized Brachiosaurus, before greeting a huge Triceratops that show the sheer scale of the beasts that once walked the Earth.

Visitors will be guided through a special enclosure to meet the fearsome Velociraptors who are kept safely behind reinforced fences, just like in the movie.

Guests will also be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures and their habitat. Younger visitors will also love getting their hands on a range of fossils and bones in a special dig area.

Following an initial launch in Melbourne, Australia, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has become one of the fastest selling exhibitions in history since its launch. It has become a global success with over eight million visitors, and was last in the UK in London in 2023.

The exhibition is currently welcoming visitors in Mexico, Melbourne, and now Manchester can be added to the list too. It opened for preview shows on Thursday, before opening to the general public from Friday onwards, with booking being taken right through the school holidays and on until November 3.

Universal Parks & Resorts’ president of global business development, Michael Silver said: “We are thrilled to open Jurassic World: The Exhibition for the second time in the United Kingdom. The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise have been thrilling audiences for decades and we are delighted to give fans the opportunity to see these magnificent dinosaurs up close.”

Universal’s Alexis Scalise hosted the opening event in Manchester on Thursday and said how excited they were to welcome fans here in to see the dinosaurs.

She said: “Jurassic World is the closest you will ever come to living dinosaurs, we’re so excited for people to come up close and personal with the brachiosaurus, the raptor and T- Rex.

“There’s dinosaurs, and then there’s Jurassic World. It’s one of the great things about Universal that we are able to take these incredible experiences right to the backyards of our fans.

“It gives fans the chance to feel like they’re actually walking on set of a movie.”

Among other attractions inside include the chance to sit in a Gyrosphere like the characters do in the movies. And guests attending can take as many photos as they like while wandering through the dinosaur enclosures. There are also official photos you can buy at the end too.

Matt Boldys, from producers NEON who have put together the show here in Manchester, said it had been over a year in the planning. He said: “We’ve found a great partner in the Trafford Centre to be able to bring the exhibition here.

“We were slightly delayed because of some global transportation issues, but luckily none of the dinosaurs escaped! They were all able to come on site here.

“What’s so wonderful about this exhibition is that we get all ages coming in, there are families with young kids, but also grandparents coming in on their own or those who saw Jurassic Park at the movies when it first came out. Whoever you are, there’s something for everyone here and it’s a proper experience.”

How much are tickets?

General admission prices for Jurassic World: The Exhibition start from £13 for children (ages 3-15) and from £25 for adults, although prices go up and down depending on the date and time you’re wanting to go along.

All booking is via Ticketmaster here. Family and group tickets are also available as well as special pricing for senior citizens and students.

When booking, you select a specific time slot to attend, or you can buy a “flexi ticket” which is more expensive, but means you can attend at any time on the date you choose.

The attraction takes around an hour to complete.

Where is it?

Jurassic World: The Exhibition can be found in a purpose-built building on the Peel Avenue 7 car park, opposite John Lewis at the Trafford Centre. It’s just a couple of minutes off Junction 9 of the M60.

Is there a shop?

Yes, at the end of the exhibition, there is a gift shop packed with Jurassic World branded goodied like t-shirts, caps and water bottles. For those taking younger guests, be warned there are a lot of cute cuddly toys that your little one will probably try and grab on the way out.

There’s no cafe on site though, although the venue is a short walk or drive to the Trafford Centre where there are a raft of food and drink retailers.