Jurassic Park Discovery Center

The ***Jurassic Park Discovery Center*** is an interactive walkthrough attraction located in the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure. It is loosely based on the Visitor's Center featured in the 1993 film, *Jurassic Park*, as it features a different layout than what was seen in the film, while still featuring various skeletons and information on dinosaurs. The attraction opened with the park on May 28, 1999.

The outside of the center has, instead of windows like in the film, a 3D mural embedded in the wall of Jurassic scenery. Inside, a large mural extends across the front wall containing several dinosaur species in a realistic artist impression of a Jurassic period forest, ocean, and field. Visitors who enter the front of the center and enter the main rotunda will see several skeletal mock-ups of *Tyrannosaurus rex*, *Brontosaurus*, and a *Pteranodon*. The "Center" connects to a Jurassic Park-themed playground, and houses a dining area and a gift-shop on the second floor.

The main floor contains several facilities meant to entertain and teach. There is a wall in which fossils are buried; running the viewer mechanism over the wall shows one what fossils are from where and from what species they originated. This area also houses several child-oriented, dinosaur-shaped kiosks where children can press buttons and hear dinosaur calls. Next, there is a "Mr. DNA" attraction where one's DNA is seemingly infused with that of prehistoric DNA, creating a human/dinosaur hybrid which is shown via the screens; one merely places one's face over a 3D mesh of one's choice (based upon the answers to a short questionnaire), creating the effect (at the end, however, the DNA mixture becomes too unstable and is "abandoned"). These dinosaur hybrids were used as accidental creations in the park's 2002 Halloween Horror Nights, in which a scientist unknowingly makes them and they are now running all over the island (of course, they were really just costumed actors looking to scare unsuspecting visitors).

## Hatchery

Next to that is the main hatchery: One can view the "scientists" at work filling out forms and examining "eggs" (actually animatronically-rigged models), or one can examine "eggs" with the help of several devices which use many scanning techniques to examine the egg and allow one to guess what sort of "dinosaur" is housed in the egg. A short description of the animal is then given, followed by the location on the island. Randomly throughout the day (at least once per hour), one can view a dinosaur hatching: a preemptive warning is given over the intercom that a "hatching" is about to begin and one of the "technicians" comes over and guides one through the hatching. The female *Velociraptor* "hatchling" handled by an actor playing a paleo-biologist is then given a name by the children and adults present. The *Velociraptor* is, in real life of course, a complex animatronic model, similar to the actual hatchling animatronics used during the filming of the movies. There are no show times, and catching a hatching baby dinosaur is purely based upon luck.

## Beasaur

The next facility is a sort of game show-styled alcove where contestants test their dinosaur knowledge against that of other guests. Lastly, there are three fullscale but 1940-esque dinosaur animatronic figures. Here, children and adults can look through a device behind the dinosaur and move its head.

## others

Scientists constantly roam the halls, and the areas outside of the Discovery Center with assortments of gadgets, and at a random times on select days, a scientist in a green jacket brings out a baby *Triceratops* named Savannah. The trike's movements are lifelike and it responds to being touched, but touching the face can result in it snapping at or even biting one. It also makes gurgling noises and cries.

Next is a room where tourists have the chance a Dinosaur-Human Hybrid by following Mr. DNA's steps and using their own DNA to complete their own hybrid.

## Background

The Jurassic Park Discovery Center is an interactive attraction with various exhibits and activities for guests, including trivia games, learning statues, and both life-size statues and skeletons of dinosaurs. It is similar to the Visitor's Center of the original film in the *Jurassic Park* franchise, but not identical, as it is missing many elements, the most notable being the banner that says "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth."

The centerpiece of the Discovery Center is a laboratory where dinosaurs are created by the Jurassic Park staff. Every once in a while, a short presentation will be shown where a scientist discusses the process of incubating dinosaur eggs for the park, and show a baby Velociraptor hatching from one of the eggs on display.

## Physical Appearances

* *Albertosaurus*  (fossil)
* *Brontosaurus*  (skeleton)
* *Dromeosaurus*  (fossil)
* *Stegosaurus*
* *Triceratops* (juvenile)
* *Tyrannosaurus rex* (skeleton)
* *Velociraptor*(hatchling)

### Displays/Mentioned Only

* *Gorgosaurus* (Egg)
* *Nanotyrannus*

## Trivia

* Several nods to the film can be found in the laboratory. Among these are Dennis Nedry's embryo container disguised as a can of Barbasol shaving cream, and a figure of Mr. DNA made out of colored cotton balls.
* Near the entrance of the Discovery Center, before descending to the lower floor where most of the exhibits and activities are, is a gift shop.

## Other Wikis

* https://jurassic-park.fandom.com/wiki/Jurassic Park Discovery Center