Jurassica facts for kids
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Jurassica was a really exciting idea for a new visitor attraction. It was planned for a huge, old quarry on the Isle of Portland, near Weymouth in Dorset, southern England. The main goal was to show off the amazing prehistoric world, especially focusing on the Jurassic Coast. This coast is a famous World Heritage Site because of its incredible fossils.
The chosen spot was Yeolands Quarry, an old quarry that stopped working in the 2000s. This quarry is super deep, about 36 meters (118 feet) down, and 90 meters (295 feet) wide. It's located on the eastern side of Portland island, just south of The Grove village.
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What Jurassica Would Have Been Like
The plans for Jurassica were first shared in late 2013. It was going to be a very big project, costing around £85–90 million. The idea was inspired by the famous Eden Project in Cornwall, which is also built in an old mining pit.
Jurassica aimed to display hundreds of incredible fossils. These included dinosaurs, giant marine reptiles, ancient sea creatures, and prehistoric plants. There were plans for a large aquarium. Imagine seeing lifelike robot models of huge prehistoric sea monsters swimming in tanks!
Another cool idea was a journey that would take visitors back in time. You would "fly around the Earth" to see what it was like 140 million years ago. The park was planned to be covered by a huge, see-through roof. This roof, made of glass and steel, would span 350 feet. It was described as looking "much like a spider web" and almost invisible from outside.
The project also aimed to be the world's first "carbon negative" visitor attraction. This means it would remove more carbon dioxide from the air than it produced. It planned to use solar panels to make its own power. Jurassica was seen as a perfect fit for Portland, right in the middle of the Jurassic Coast. If built, it was expected to create 200 jobs for local people.
Who Supported Jurassica
The idea for Jurassica first came from Michael Hanlon, a science journalist. He grew up in Dorset and loved searching for fossils along the coast. The project quickly gained support from people all over the country.
Famous naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough became a patron, which means he supported the project. Sir Tim Smit, who created the Eden Project, also became a trustee. The first drawings of the site were made by Renzo Piano, a famous architect who designed The Shard in London. The engineering team behind the Eden Project was also involved.
Michael Hanlon said the idea was "very big and ambitious." He hoped it would be a "spectacular world-class visitor attraction." He also wanted it to be a place for education and heritage, like a main hub for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Sir David Attenborough shared his excitement. He said his own love of science started with fossils. He felt this area was very important for history and for Britain. He believed Jurassica could bring a clear focus to the birthplace of paleontology.
Funding and Future Plans
The Jurassica team looked for money from different places. They hoped to get funding from the UK Heritage Lottery Fund. They also sought help from the Natural History Museum, London. Michael Hanlon mentioned they were "hoping for significant private investment" too.
Michael Dixon, the director of the Natural History Museum, visited the proposed site. He was very keen to be part of the project. He said they would use both real fossils and the latest technology, like animatronics, to make the visit exciting. In late 2013, Hanlon announced that the idea had grown thanks to support from scientists and business leaders.
A possible partnership with the Natural History Museum would mean they could loan Jurassic-related objects. The idea was also discussed with the Royal Society and Kokoro, a Japanese company. Kokoro made the animatronics for the Natural History Museum's dinosaur gallery. More than 60 businesses in Dorset also supported the project after a presentation by Hanlon. However, in 2015, they did not get the National Lottery funding they needed.
If funding could be found, the project was estimated to take three to five years to build. The goal was to open the attraction around 2019–2020. They hoped to attract 700,000 visitors each year. Hanlon suggested a family ticket for two adults and two children might cost up to £70.
One challenge they thought about was transport. A possible solution was using buses from a large car park built for the 2012 Olympics in Weymouth. There was also another related project on Portland called the Mass Extinction Monitoring Observatory. This was planned as a monument to creatures that have disappeared from our planet. It would be located on the west side of the island at Bowers Quarry.
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