We were invited along to Jurassic: The Immersive Experience at Planet Ice in Bristol, and we built it into our journey from Knaresborough to Newquay for our family holiday. It made the perfect halfway stop—just off the motorway, easy to find, and exactly the kind of break the kids needed after being cooped up in the car with snacks and sibling bickering.

Of course, I brought my two dinosaur-obsessed boys (10 and 11), who treated the whole thing like an audition for Jurassic World 4: Now Mum’s Driving the Jeep.

This isn’t just a few cardboard cut-outs and a YouTube dino soundtrack—this is full-on roars, lights, animatronic dinosaurs that move like they mean it, and some pretty cool hands-on activities. But let me walk you through it properly.

What Is Jurassic: The Immersive Experience?

It’s a family-friendly walk-through attraction packed with life-size dinosaurs, immersive sound and lighting, and lots of interactive stations to keep the kids busy. Think: museum meets theme park meets “Mum, I want to touch that!”

You walk through different themed zones, each with its own set of prehistoric beasts and features—from a raptor lurking in the bushes to a T-Rex finale that genuinely made a few adults jump.

There are opportunities to dig for fossils, play with augmented reality, try some VR (yes, there’s a headset involved), and of course pose for many, many photos.

What Happens Inside (With Added Parenting Commentary)

Arrival:

You’re greeted by very enthusiastic staff who are clearly either dino fans or ex-actors from Walking With Dinosaurs Live—either way, they set the mood straight away.

The Walkthrough:

You move through different “prehistoric zones,” each with smoke, sound effects, and some pretty dramatic lighting. There are animatronic dinos everywhere, and they move. Not just bobble-heads—full body motion. Very impressive.

Activities Along the Way:

A fossil digging pit with brushes (aka: "Let’s see if your kids can resist throwing sand.")

VR stations (limited headsets but worth the wait)

A 5D experience where the floor moves and vibrates are you take your journey into the unknown.

My kids were in their element—running from one thing to the next, yelling facts they'd half-remembered from YouTube, and asking if the T-Rex could see them if they didn’t move. (Spoiler: it still saw them.)

Honest Thoughts (Because That’s Why You’re Here)

The good stuff:

Loads of interactive elements

Animatronics were genuinely impressive

Staff were brilliant with kids

Not too long—perfect if your child melts after hour two of anything

The constructive bits:

It’s definitely under 2 hours (we were done in around 90 minutes with a loo stop)

Probably not ideal for under 4s or any child who isn’t ready to stay focused for 10+ minutes at a time. It’s dark, loud, and a bit intense in places (in a good way—for older kids)

So, if your toddler is just here for the snacks and can’t be trusted not to sprint into a fog machine, maybe wait a year or two.

How To Get There

Jurassic: The Immersive Experience is held at Planet Ice Bristol, just off Cribbs Causeway. It’s conveniently close to the M5, which made it an ideal stop for us while driving from Yorkshire to Cornwall. There’s plenty of parking, though it can get busy at peak times (especially if there’s a hockey match or big event nearby).

Address: Planet Ice, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol BS10 7SR

By public transport: The nearest train station is Bristol Parkway, and then it’s a short taxi or bus ride.

Ticket Prices

Tickets are priced from £12.50 for children and £15 for adults, with family bundles available too.

Full info and booking: https://jurassicimmersive.co.uk

Top Tips Before You Go

Book ahead – especially on weekends and holidays

Wear comfy shoes – it’s not miles of walking, but you’ll be on your feet

Charge your phone – you’ll want ALL the dino photos

Toilet first – because excitement + dark rooms + loud sounds = sudden loo requests

Would We Go Again?

Yes! It’s the perfect school holiday activity that doesn’t take up your entire day, leaves the kids buzzing, and gives you some great family memories (and photos that will haunt them when they’re 17).

Just don’t tell them the dinos aren’t real. My youngest is still convinced the velociraptor blinked at him.