LOOK: Inside Gardens by the Bay's 'Jurassic World: The Experience'
As one of Singapore’s most iconic destinations, Gardens by the Bay always has a surprise in store. Its constantly changing exhibits mean that no two visits are ever exactly alike.
This year, Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay is hosting "Jurassic World: The Experience," a new interactive experience inspired by the hit sci-fi film franchise that puts the spotlight on dinosaurs.
Visitors can admire life-sized dinosaur animatronics as they wander through a lush, misty landscape of a rainforest.
The attraction couldn’t have picked a better setting than Cloud Forest, as the glass-domed botanical garden replicates the cool-moist climate of Tropical Montane regions found between 1,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level. It is also home to more than 72,000 plants, with 50 species having ancient lineages dating back to the Jurassic period, making you feel as if you’ve walked into the set of a new dinosaur film.
Dinos galore
"Jurassic World: The Experience" was produced by NEON, an immersive entertainment group behind other cutting-edge exhibitions from franchises such as Harry Potter and Avatar.
As soon as you step inside the botanical garden, the vibrant ambience of the dense forest will instantly hit you as you watch Cloud Forest’s 35-meter-tall waterfall cascade dramatically. Standing tall in front of it are two humongous Brachiosaurus, one towering at 8.5 meters or nearly three storeys high.
Nearby is the iconic logo of Jurassic World, a mandatory photo-taking spot before starting your epic journey.
It won’t be long until you have another dinosaur encounter—you’ll quickly spot several tiny Compsognathus playfully darting between the foliage. Some of them are also cleverly scattered throughout the lush landscape of Cloud Forest, so take your time to explore every corner.
Of course, no dinosaur experience would be complete without the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex. You can come face-to-face with the powerful creature in its very own section, where it breaks through a shattered fence and gives out a heart-pounding roar, truly cementing its place as the king of the Jurassic world.
As you climb the stairs, you'll come face-to-face with a massive metal cage holding a Stygimoloch. The sight is immediately gripping: the dinosaur utters guttural growls and sharp screeches, thrashing violently against the bars—making you wonder if it will truly break free and lunge at you.
But not all the creatures are fearsome and formidable. As you press on your prehistoric journey, you’ll find yourself in the Creation Cavern, where delicate eggs and adorable newborn dinosaurs are inside the incubators.
There’s also a large Pteranodon animatronic nearby with its wings spread majestically, allowing for some cool photo-ops.
As you continue, you’ll end up in a destroyed facility where two Dilophosaurus lurk among the toppled crates and open cages, filling the dark room with their eerie cries and rattles. You may want to think twice before coming near them—these animatronics spit out “venom” that may leave you taken aback. Don’t panic, though; it’s just water.
If you think that was wild, the real tension revs up in the next section as you’ll come face-to-face with several Velociraptors captured, muzzled, and contained in their respective crates. You’ll notice the names “Charlie,” “Delta,” and “Echo” written above the cages, and those of you who watched the films will instantly recognize them as part of Owen Grady’s infamous raptor squad.
That brings the question: “Where’s Blue, the last of the four raptors?”
If your timing is right, you’ll catch one of the staff members putting on an exciting show where they try to carefully guide the creature back into its paddock while mirroring Owen’s tactic of holding out a steady hand to keep them in check.
The animatronic meanwhile, follows their every movement, making it seem like you’re watching a real raptor sizing up its handler.
As part of the immersive experience, the staff will ask for one volunteer to help them calm Blue down, so make sure to raise your hand if you want to know what it’s like to contain a life-sized raptor.
"Jurassic World: The Experience" runs in Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay until Dec. 31 only. Admission tickets start from S$22 (P991) for Singapore residents, $32 (P1,397) for non-residents, and are available for sale to the public through this link.
There are loads more attractions that Singapore has to offer. Check out our Travel guide exploring Singapore's soulful spots and global eats.
Plus, don't miss SingaPop!, a limited-time exhibit running until Dec. 28 that celebrates 60 years of Singapore's pop culture.