Jurassic Experience at Gardens by the Bay: A Family Day with Dinosaurs

We visited the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay on a Sunday, curious to see the new Jurassic Experience. I had not been back since before Covid, and I honestly did not remember being so amazed the last time. I came in with low expectations, thinking that it will be mostly great to the kids. But the dinosaur exhibition really surprised me. It was far more impressive than I thought it would be.

Stepping into the cool Cloud Dome

The moment you walk in, the waterfall towers before you. Just beside it, a pair of life-sized Brachiosauruses stretch their necks above the crowd. So many people were taking pictures and waiting for their turn to get close. We are not the type to queue for photo spots, so we kept moving. There was so much ahead, and the trail looked promising.

But before we could fully take in the view, our kids yelled ‘SCAAARYYYYY’.  They thought the dinosaurs were real. The towering dinosaurs and misty atmosphere were overwhelming at first. We had to step to the side, gently explaining to our four-year-old that they were just pretend dinosaurs. Meanwhile, our younger one demanded to be carried, clearly unsure about this strange new world. After a moment, they calmed. Curiosity won over fear.

The crowd was definitely there, probably over a thousand people flowing through the dome every hour, but it did not feel claustrophobic. The space is large and layered, and once we started walking, the experience felt surprisingly smooth. We accepted the crowd and went with the flow.

Into the jurassic trail

The entire dome had been transformed for the exhibition. As we followed the winding path, dinosaurs began to emerge from the foliage. A pack of Compsognathus stood scattered across stones and leaves, and our kids were excited to spot them. 

Somewhere early in the trail, we missed the ‘Petting Zoo’, a section where visitors can interact with baby dinosaur puppets. Whether we passed it unknowingly or it was just too crowded to notice, we are not sure. But it’s worth looking out for, especially with younger kids.

Then came one of the more dramatic scenes. Red lights flashed, sirens blared, and a bent-open fence marked the breakout zone. The towering T. rex stood right in front of us, roaring ferociously. Even knowing it wasn’t real, it made an impact. My older one loved it, posed in front of it confidently. My younger one clung to daddy and was somewhere between scared and amazed.

Evolution walk with prehistoric plants

The next section, the Evolution Walk, offered a quieter pace. It began with a set of stairs and moved uphill through lush greenery. Ferns, cycads and mosses lined the path, with signs explaining what grew long before flowering plants ever existed.

From here, the trail moves forward and does not loop back to the entrance. Strollers must be left at the designated parking area near the base of the stairs. Like many other families, we only collected ours after exiting the exhibition.

A little further along, we encountered the Stygimoloch, a horned dinosaur rising dramatically from what looked like a crashed truck.

We rounded the next bend and saw another towering Brachiosaurus. But what caught our attention next wasn’t a dinosaur at all,  it was the Thunderbird Totem Pole, which we had heard about and were looking forward to seeing.

Canadian Thunderbird Totem 

Standing at 7.6 metres, the totem was carved by Canadian First Nations artist Calvin Hunt and brought all the way from Canada to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and Canada. It features Thunderbird, the most powerful spirit being, Sisiyutł, a double-headed sea serpent symbolising protection and transformation, a Chief, representing Kwakwaɥkaɥʼwakw warriors, and a Bear holding Halibut, symbolising respect for the forest and the sea. As a Swiss-Canadian family, we were really happy to see it. It felt meaningful to encounter something so rooted in Canadian culture in the middle of the Cloud Forest.

Baby dinosaurs and eggs

Past the totem, we took the lift up to the highest point of the dome. At the top was the Creation Cove, with two incubation pods. One held a group of glowing dinosaur eggs. The lighting was warm and dim, and it immediately drew us in. My kid went straight to the interactive panels, which let visitors explore five different types of dinosaur eggs, what the embryos might look like, what kind of dinosaur they would become, and the conditions needed for hatching.

In the second pod, just beside the first, three very young Parasaurolophus were lying asleep. They were small, still, and looked soft enough to touch. We stood there for a while. My kid kept tapping through the screens, and we all agreed the baby dinos were sooo cute.

Motion activated jungle room that kids love

From there, we wandered into The Hidden Forest,  a dimly lit room not officially part of the dinosaur trail, but worth the visit. There were no animatronics here, just interactive projections. As the kids ran in circles, colourful animals lit up around them, butterflies fluttered across the walls, sloths appeared among the branches, jungle creatures came to life with every step. They couldn’t get enough of it. I gave up trying to keep up after a few laps and took position at the entrance, keeping watch while they ran wild inside. They loved it so much, they insisted we come back again before leaving.

The canopy walk

We passed through the Jurassic World gate, and the environment shifted again. The path was high above the forest floor, curving gently into the Cloud Walk, a suspended walkway that winds through the upper levels of the dome. From this height, the animatronic Brachiosaurus and T. rex, which had loomed so large from the ground, now appeared smaller, their movements slower, almost distant. The soundscape changed too, with the roar of the T. rex fading slightly. Visitors slowed, took photos, leaned on the railings.

Through the glass, the view opened up. Marina Bay Sands stood clearly in short distance, with the Singapore Flyer to one side and the ocean stretching out to the other side. The late afternoon light made the skyline look sharp and clear. It’s the kind of view I never get tired of. 

The walkway continued seamlessly into the Treetop Walk, bringing us lower into the canopy but still above most of the landscape. From here, the Pteranodons in the Aviary zone were almost level with us, their wings stretched wide. 

Hissing Dilophosaurus and captivated Raptors

We took the lift down again and continued along the trail. Then came two Dilophosaurus in a dark room lit with blue lights, surrounded by knocked-over crates. As we walked up to get a closer look at one of them, it suddenly turned, hissed, and sprayed a fine mist. Our kids jumped back, and we adults played along by pretending to scream and acting surprised. It added to the fun.

Another lift brought us to the Raptor Encounter. Three raptors stood behind a metal enclosure, each one fitted with a muzzle. Visitors leaned in and took photos next to them.Even though the dinosaurs aren't real, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for them! 

Next up was a short live segment at the Raptor Paddock. A staff member playing a ‘park ranger’ appeared as ‘raptor trainer’. They introduced Blue, the velociraptor, and walked the group through a short training demonstration. Using hand signals, the trainer showed how to calm the raptor, with the help of a volunteer from the crowd. It was quick, simple, and interactive, a moment that drew in both kids and adults before the trail came to a close.

Gift Shop and Dinner at Jurassic Nest Food Hall

As expected, we exited through the gift shop. Ours kids love gift shops. There was a whole section dedicated to dinosaur merchandise, but we didn’t find much that was suitable for our young kids.  We’ve already got more plushies than we need, and the t-shirts seemed a little too warm for daily wear in Singapore. In the end, we picked out a pair of regular sunglasses for each kid, always handy in sunny Singapore. 

Dinner was just a short walk away at Jurassic Nest Food Hall. The dino theme continued inside, with leafy walls and dinosaur sculptures perched above the stalls. We got there around 5pm and it was still quiet, perfect for a relaxed early dinner. We shared Hawker Chan’s famous soya sauce chicken and charsiew noodles and grabbed a kids’ meal to round things off. It was a cosy, satisfying end to a big day of exploring.

Final verdict of the Jurassic Experience at Gardens by the Bay

Jurassic Experience at Gardens by the Bay is not just about dinosaurs. It is about scale, sound, and surprise. It is one of those exhibitions where both kids and adults can be drawn in. If you go in with open eyes, and maybe lower expectations like I did, you might walk out pretty impressed.

Practical Tips

• If you have a stroller, it's best to leave it at the designated parking area under the escalator before entering the Cloud Forest. The exhibition includes stairs and elevated walkways where strollers are not allowed. If you bring your stroller inside and leave it at the secondary parking area before the Evolution Garden walkway, you won’t be able to return to it directly after the exhibition. Instead, you’ll need to exit fully and re-enter the Cloud Forest through the main entrance just to collect it

• Plan for 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on your pace and how long you linger in each zone.

• Some sections include loud sound effects and flashing lights. They are not too intense, but small children might need a bit of reassurance.

Plan Your Visit

Tickets

Singapore Residents

• Cloud Forest (Jurassic Experience): SGD 26 (adult), SGD 22 (child 3–12 or senior)

• Combo - Cloud Forest + Flower Dome: SGD 34 (adult), SGD 26 (child or senior)

Non-Singapore Residents

• Cloud Forest (Jurassic Experience): SGD 32 (adult), SGD 24 (child 3–12 or senior)

Combo - Cloud Forest + Flower Dome: SGD 53 (adult), SGD 40 (child or senior)

Friends of the Gardens 

Family Membership: SGD 180/year for 2 adults and up to 3 kids. Includes unlimited access to Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, and OCBC Skyway.

Opening Hours 

Daily, 9:00 am – 9:00 pm (last admission 8:00 pm)

Getting There

MRT

• Bayfront Station (Circle Line CE1 or Downtown Line DT16) → Exit B via the underground linkway into Gardens by the Bay 

• Gardens by the Bay Station (Thomson‑East Coast Line TE22, shown as the brown line on MRT maps) → Exit 1 leads directly beside Satay by the Bay into Gardens by the Bay

  
  

By Car/Taxi: Drop-off at Marina Gardens Drive Visitor Centre. Paid parking available nearby.