Few movies have left an indelible mark as Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park. The movie allowed people to see dinosaurs in a new light, beyond what they studied in science textbooks. Toronto itself was no stranger to this; a couple of years ago, in 2024, the Jurassic World exhibit made a stop in Mississauga.
Most recently, in 2026, Jurassic Kingdom brought more than 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs to the David Dunlap Observatory in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The art of animatronics is unique in itself because it allows people to see these dinosaurs as if they were alive. It combines sculpture, engineering, electronics, puppetry, along with materials and science, to make the creatures move, behave, and interact.
The Jurassic World Exhibit Makes a Stop in Toronto
Based on one of the biggest blockbusters in history, Jurassic World: The Exhibition welcomed hundreds of fans when it made a stop in Mississauga in 2024. The thrilling interactive displays allowed fans to virtually step onto the remote island of Isla Nublar, enabling visitors, both children and adults, to come face-to-face with life-size dinosaurs and explore richly themed environments.
The exhibit captured the fans’ imagination through its entertaining and educational displays spanning more than 20,000 square feet. Children were especially drawn to the immense dinosaurs with unique personalities and features. It also gave a few children their first steppingstone into science as they experienced the fascinating realm of paleontology.
Upon arrival, many were captivated by the iconic Jurassic gates, which allowed visitors to encounter impressive animatronic dinosaurs towering above them, including species such as Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors (including the fan-favorite Blue), and the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. All these distinct species of dinosaurs were designed by the robotic entertainment powerhouse Animax Design, which breathed new life into these displays, making them incredibly realistic.
Larger than Life
One of the most fascinating features of these displays is how animatronics plays an important role in bringing them to life. For starters, if you don’t think about the machinery itself, then the illusion is more realistic for you, and in the case of the Jurassic World exhibit, it was, for many children and adults.
Beneath the dinosaur’s skin is a complex network of motors, mechanical joints, control systems, and structural supports that enable it to move. That’s not to undermine the aesthetic aspect either; sculptors create the physical form, while artists add small touches to enhance the appearance of skin texture, colouration, wrinkles, and other details that bring the dinosaurs to life.
Michael Mattox, executive vice president at Animax Design, said the attractions are so technologically advanced that guests can truly imagine what it would have been like to roam among these awe-inspiring creatures.
One of the enduring legacies of movies like Jurassic Park is the fascination they offer with dinosaurs. Although they no longer exist as a species, the movie has allowed creators and scientists to see the impact these creatures had on us in the past.
By means of animatronics, modern technology enabled creators to combine projection, augmented and virtual reality, along with lighting, sound, and interactive sensors to bring these creatures back from the brink of extinction, something we could hardly have imagined without science.
David Messiha | Staff Writer
