London days out for dinosaur lovers

Things to do in London for dinosaur lovers 

Did you know that there's lots to see and do in London for dinosaur lovers - big and small. In this blog post I share my suggestions for some rawr-tastic days out!

A Jurassic Museum

Learn all about these prehistoric creatures at the Natural history museum in South West London. Home to the most complete Stegosaurus skeleton in Europe (nicknamed Sophie), the first Iguanodon skeleton known to science, and a skull from a Triceratops. Other notable dinosaurs on display include a cast of Diplodocus (Dippy), a Scolosaurus, and the newly discovered Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae.

Immersive Theatre

Jurassic world is an immersive adventure for the whole family. Visitors walk through 10 themed zones encountering life-size dinosaurs like the T-Rex and Velociraptor.

Immersive experience at the lightroom 

There are also interactive displays, baby dinosaurs, and fossilized bones. Lasting approximately 45 minutes, the experience at NEON Battersea power station is family-friendly. Designed to be an exciting journey through the world of the Jurassic World films. 

Dino Dining

Jurassic afternoon tea at Apero restaurant is a great option for very hungry dinosaurs. My son and I loved it. You could also combine your visit with a trip to the natural history museum just walking distance away.

 Read my full review > here.

Prehistoric Immersive Film

St pancras is home to an amazing new immersive screening room. The lightroom makes use of larger than life walls, floors and ceilings for a completely immersive audio-visual experience like no other. Adults and children are free to walk about in the space unlike regular cinematic screenings. The lightroom merges cinema and art gallery. 

For a limited time - extended until January 2026 you can book prehistoric planet: discovering dinosaurs at the Lightroom St. Pancras.

The Age of Dinosaurs Like Never Before - Embark on an extraordinary journey with Damian Lewis through the captivating world of dinosaurs - from their reign 66 million years ago to the remarkable traces they left behind.

This immersive 360° experience combines unforgettable scenes from Apple TV's Emmy-nominated Prehistoric Planet; with exclusive new material, including custom illustrations and expanded CGI sequences that place you directly in the prehistoric era. 

Journey through treacherous deserts, climb into vast skies, and dive into enigmatic ocean depths as you encounter life-sized dinosaurs during the most pivotal moments of their existence.

Equal parts awe-inspiring and enlightening, this spectacular adventure features an original score by multi-Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, alongside Anže Rozman and Kara Talve from Bleeding Fingers Music. Step into a vanished world - and witness its magnificent return.

Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs is directed and designed by 59 Studio in partnership with the creators of Prehistoric Planet, Apple TV+, and Executive Producer Mike Gunton, Creative Director of BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

Lasting approximately 50 minutes and suitable for all ages. Visitors can also enjoy drinks and snacks in the on site cafe upstairs plus purchase themed gifts and merchandise. Visit > lightroom to book.

Dinosaurs At Mini Golf

Courtesy of adventure experience You can enjoy four different miniature golf locations. With restaurants on site. Jurassic falls adventure golf is a miniature golf course in Walthamstow - East London. Dinosaur Safari is located in Barnet.

Whilst dinosaur escape is in Northolt and Jurassic Island crazy golf is in Harrow. Features include water, greenery and dinosaurs around each course. With no need to book ahead. Up to five players can enjoy up to 18 holes. They even promise a free game of adventure golf if it rains when you play! Check website for opening details.

Jurassic Parks

Crystal Palace Dinosaur Park 

Located in South East London. Crystal Palace Dinosaur park features the world's first dinosaur statues! 

The Vision Behind the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs is thanks to Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Internationally renowned natural history artist behind the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, created sculptures that would become groundbreaking monuments of Victorian science. 

Working within a landscape designed by Joseph Paxton and featuring geological displays by Professor David Ansted, Waterhouse Hawkins produced the world's first attempt to reconstruct extinct animals as life-sized, three-dimensional creatures.

Built between 1853 and 1855 to coincide with the Crystal Palace's move from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill following the Great Exhibition of 1851, this section of the park has remained largely unchanged since its public debut. 

Crystal Palace Park opened in June 1854 with only some sculptures completed - the Tertiary Island being notably unfinished. Though Waterhouse Hawkins continued working toward his full vision through 1855, the Crystal Palace Company directors halted the project just as he'd begun a life-sized mammoth, deciding the existing work had already achieved its intended impact.

An Artist and Scholar Combined

Waterhouse Hawkins is often mischaracterized as merely a craftsman executing the instructions of palaeontologist Richard Owen. This assessment undermines his true contribution. Waterhouse Hawkins was both intellectual architect and physical creator - he examined fossils personally, stayed current with rapidly evolving scientific literature, and consulted multiple experts, Owen among them.

The work demanded countless interpretive choices: skin texture, posture, facial expression, even toenail length. His method involved creating scale models for discussion with Owen and other consultants, who often disagreed or remained noncommittal. Yet facing firm deadlines, Waterhouse Hawkins had to make definitive decisions and he did.

Richard Owen typically receives primary credit for the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs because he authored the guidebook to this section of the park (Geology and Inhabitants of the Ancient World, 1854). However, recent scholarship suggests Owen's involvement even in the guidebook was minimal. 

The publication itself is peculiar emphasizes topics Owen highlighted elsewhere professionally while omitting the mammals and geological displays entirely. It references animals absent from the sculptures, and its map bears little resemblance to the actual site layout.

A Revolutionary Undertaking

Though palaeo-art existed as an established genre by the 1850s, these sculptures represented the first three-dimensional, life-sized interpretations of extinct creatures. They captured mid-nineteenth-century scientific understanding of prehistoric anatomy, function, and behavior knowledge anatomy with modern animals sharing similar characteristics to ancient fossils.

The enormity of the project demanded meticulous planning and execution. Waterhouse Hawkins began with sketches, progressed to clay scale models for layout planning, then constructed the final sculptures from brick, tile, cement, and iron in a dedicated on-site workshop within the Crystal Palace grounds. 

Foundations were laid on the islands before transporting the completed sculptures to their designated positions. Simultaneously, David Ansted crafted the geological landscape with equal precision, importing rocks from across Britain to create an educational "walk through time."

The park opened to widespread acclaim in 1854, presenting visitors with an unprecedented window into prehistory.

Nature Discovery garden

Enjoy the newly renovated nature Discovery garden at the natural history. Museum free of charge without a ticket requirement or book a free museum ticket online to enjoy the museum dinosaurs too! 

Among the garden grassland, Wetland and woodland habitats say hi to two bronze dinosaur statues. Fern - A 22-meter-long bronze Diplodocus that stands in a Jurassic landscape. 

Hypsilophodon - A bronze Hypsilophodon, which was a smaller dinosaur, and acts as a companion to Fern. Guided tours are also available to book.

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