Welcome Back To... Jurassic Park!

Jurassic Park is one of the most successful stories to ever spring from the human imagination, evoking immediate nostalgia in most now grown-up 90s kids and enthusiastic excitement in a whole new generation who’ve grown up with the recent Jurassic World trilogy.

The original 1993 film adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, and the franchise went on to pick up several Academy Awards over the years.

2022 gave us a raft of epic Jurassic Park LEGO sets, including our personal favourite, T. rex Breakout 76956, based on an iconic scene from the first film. You can still snap up most of these sets online, but for now, we’re looking ahead to June 2023, and the promise of five new Jurassic Park LEGO sets for dino lovers to get their raptor claws on to celebrate the film’s 30^th anniversary…

Visitor Center: T. rex & Raptor Attack – 76961

$129.99

Our most-anticipated new Jurassic Park 30^th Anniversary set recreates several hazardous scenes from the first movie, including young Lex and Tim Murphy hiding from velociraptors. We also see Dr Ellie Sattler, Dr Alan Grant, Ray Arnold and Dr Henry Wu dodging a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex in the visitor centre welcome lobby.

This set includes several neat details, such as the dinosaur skeleton on display and the “When dinosaurs ruled the Earth” banner, which fell on top of the T-rex in one of the film’s most memorable money shots. Collectors will also receive plenty of diorama-worthy brick accessories, such as the food and plant pieces in the kitchen/living area. The science lab also features a computer, microscope and incubator for a dinosaur egg.

With so many fun detailed nods to the original film and a respectable amount of minifigures, this new Jurassic World set is top of our purchase list this June. We can’t wait to combine it with existing sets, such as the now-retired Jurassic Park LEGO entrance gate 75936.

Triceratops Research – 76959

$49.99

No one who saw the original 1993 movie could forget the scene with the dinosaur poop – and hats off to LEGO for having the wit to recreate this humorous scene in creative brick display form. We’re not sure how many sets let you build a replica stool, but we have a feeling this is probably the largest faecal-specific element designed from LEGO bricks (officially, at least!)

In addition to the dinosaur matter (complete with toxic berries), the set includes a beautifully realised posable Triceratops, which is a stunning addition to any Jurassic collection. You can also get your hands on Dr Ellie Sattler and Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm in minifigure form.

The set also includes the classic Jurassic Park Ford Explorer, the dream car of nearly every 90s child. While a real-world version of this iconic vehicle remains out of reach for most, LEGO fans can at least pick up a vivid toy vehicle replica of the film’s distinctive off-roader.

Brachiosaurus Discovery – 76960

$79.99

In another classic scene from the film, this LEGO set recreates the first time Dr Grant and Sattler saw a dinosaur at the doomed park – specifically, the long-necked Brachiosaurus.

This Jurassic World playset includes the tallest dinosaur figure to date, though we would personally have liked to see something in the creature’s design to reference the creative use of LEGO bricks. At the moment, it looks like a generic plastic toy without any studs on show.

The set does include an ambitiously sized tree complete with detachable leaf foliage elements. LEGO vehicle enthusiasts can also add another fun car to their collection with the grey and red Jeep Wrangler. You can also get hold of a John Hammond minifigure.

Dilophosaurus Ambush – 76958

$19.99

This more affordable set is a handy add-on with parts that can be used for a larger diorama (such as the Dilophosaurus, East Dock signpost and dinosaur footprint decoration) or to recreate the scene where hapless, scheming Dennis Nedry meets a sticky end after his car gets stuck.

Velociraptor Escape – 76957

$39.99

This additional small set references a scene with Dr Ellie Sattler and Robert Muldoon, where a Velociraptor breaks out of a dinosaur pen. It comes complete with a tower and winch system.

The set also includes a buildable mini off-roader to add to your full-scale park.