It feels kinda mean to lump in this chill activity with two grandly staged exhibitions. And yet, after a day of worrying about animatronics escaping containment and seeing the true struggles of cretaceous life, it’s blissfully cathartic to witness dinosaurs roaming free in their natural habitat: the sunny grounds of Albert Park’s family friendly mini golf course.
Quantity of dinosaurs: A veritable infestation. Long-necked herbivores smile overhead, two raptors flank the final holes and one poor sucker’s disembodied jaws poke up through the centre of a cubbyhouse (a fave, obviously).
Quality of dinosaurs: Left exposed under the sun and rain of Melbourne’s chaotic weather, these fibreglass dinos have certainly seen better days. They’re also awkwardly flanked by a random assortment of cows, mushrooms and a shark chomping a mannequin leg (wrong Spielberg movie!).
Entertainment: On a warm day with nothing else on your plate? Jurassic Par is an extremely low-stakes and relaxing way to while away an hour or so, bringing a rare Flintstones-esque hangout vibe to the dino-tainment industry.
Education: Certainly not the main attraction here, but the venue’s efforts are still impressive: placards at the foot of each dinosaur sharing their historical period, location and some fun facts. Like the culinary tidbit that noted: “Pterodactyl eggs should not be used in cooking.”
Scare factor: Only an actual infant would feel threatened by Jurassic Par’s dusty inhabitants.
Gift shop: No dino gifts. The golf shop does offer refreshments, and actual golf stuff for sensible grown-ups who don’t do this kind of stuff with their Saturday afternoon.
Value for money: At $25 for adults and $15 for kids, it’s cheaper than taking your family to the cinema to watch dinosaurs on the big screen. And the photos you’ll take while pretending to fend off a dilophosaurus with a tiny pink club are priceless.