OMSI opens ‘Jurassic World by Brickman’ LEGO exhibition

INCLUDES TOUR IN UltraHD 4K VIDEO | Here’s why anyone who is fascinated by dinosaurs, or by LEGO projects, are heading for the latest exhibition at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry …

Detailed scenes from Jurassic World^® are complete in every way – except that the dinosaurs and major props here are created from LEGO^® bricks at the new Jurassic World^® by Brickman^® exhibition, now at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Imagine fifteen life-size dinosaurs, all constructed with LEGO^® bricks, roaring into the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). That’s what happened on March 15th when the Jurassic World^® by Brickman^® exhibition opened its doors to the public.

Two days earlier, East Portland News and a group of some 100 OMSI supporters, were given a preview of the displays in the science museum’s two-level “Featured Exhibit Hall”.

Guests enter the exhibition by walking under the belly of a huge dinosaur.

Entering the exhibit, visitors walked through a reproduction of the iconic 12-foot-tall Jurassic World theme park gates. Then they marveled at the fifty large-scale dinosaurs, props, and scenes, all created with more than 6 million LEGO bricks, as they wandered through the exhibition.

Here building an island using LEGO bricks, it’s the Osborne family from Southeast Portland.

Kids shrieked with joy as they encountered one hands-on adventure area after another, with a total of 2.5 million bricks to play with – all based on the Jurassic Park story that started with the science fiction novel by Michael Crichton – and turned into several motion pictures, video games, and a TV show.

Take a tour of this fascinating exhibition by way of our video:

Adults marveled at features such as the two-ton Brachiosaurus – this one, of course, made of LEGO bricks.

At the preview, Brickman’s Head of Global Exhibitions, Simon Challenor, explained that his Melbourne, Australia, based company – headed by “LEGO Certified Professional” Ryan “Brickman” McNaught, and his team of model builders and craftspeople – build these projects using standard, off-the-shelf LEGO bricks.

In the expansive “Control Room”, guests use LEGO bricks to create footprint models that track creatures on the islands.

Asked his favorite part about this exposition, Challenor wrinkled his eyebrows as the pondered the question. “It’s a bit like asking ‘what’s your favorite child?’ to be honest with you.

“It’s really hard to get past the ‘Brachiosaurus’ – the big model the takes an entire shipping container! But the Velociraptors Blue and Delta and, of course, an enormous T.rex, are also pretty impressive!”

A favorite photo spot in the OMSI exhibition is this full-size Jeep replica – made entirely of LEGO bricks – placed in front of a charging dinosaur.

This is perhaps one of the most interactive exhibitions ever hosted by OMSI. Activity areas are themed as:

> Island building
> Paleontology and discovery through “mystery mosaics”
> Creating new dinosaurs
> Learning to track a dinosaur by creating species footprints
> Building escape mini-vehicles to get away from a Tyrannosaurus Rex

This exhibit provides a nexus of creativity, engineering, and science, says OMSI Vice President of Learning Experiences Akiko Minaga.

“This exhibition supports our mission because it’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the intersection of creativity, engineering, and science – it really brings these to life in a way that engages visitors of all ages,” explained Akiko Minaga, OMSI’s Vice President of Learning Experiences. “What impresses me most is the size and the intricacy of the pieces; it’s just amazing to me!.

“And also, kudos to our sponsors – Boeing and Chevron – for supporting this exhibit at OMSI,” added Minaga.

In the lobby outside the Jurassic World^® by Brickman^® exhibition, this realistic model stops people passing by!

The Jurassic World^® by Brickman^® exhibition runs through September 1st, 2025. For hours and days, and ticket pricing, visit OMSI’s website: CLICK HERE.

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