As the Jurassic Park franchise evolved into the series as it's known today, a forgotten spinoff addressed its biggest criticisms. Aware of the impact it had on pop culture consciousness, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment once evoked the Jurassic Park name with the best intentions in mind. Although mostly forgotten, the Jurassic Park Institute was one of its most ambitious projects that hoped to change the face of paleontology and the world of Jurassic Park.
Acknowledged as a classic and one of the most famous dinosaur stories in history, Jurassic Park set the stage for an entire franchise. Once cited as one of the most realistic sci-fi films by NASA, Steven Speilberg's film helped shape the popular perceptions of dinosaurs and paleontology since its cinematic debut in 1993. Now over three decades old and celebrating a milestone anniversary, fans are fondly looking back on how far the Jurassic Park franchise has come. But that conversation can't be had without mentioning the Jurassic Park Institute.
What Was the Jurassic Park Institute?
Although not meant to be 100 percent accurate, people began to confuse paleontological fact with fiction, partially because of the dinosaurs they saw in the Jurassic Park series. In an effort to address this, the Jurassic Park Institute educational brand was established in 2001 through a collaboration between noted paleontologists and Universal Pictures upon the release of Jurassic Park III. As a whole, the Jurassic Park Institute aimed to bring the captivating world of paleontology to life while dispelling misconceptions portrayed by the films as one of the most distinguished spinoffs to stem from the original trilogy.
Inspired by the Jurassic Park movies, the Jurassic Park Institute brand offered a diverse range of educational materials, including books, games, a website (which attracted over 22 million users) and an immersive walkthrough attraction, which became one of the leading sources for paleontological education. By incorporating the imaginative lore of the Jurassic Park series with real-life scientific knowledge about dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park Institute provided children with the tools to delve deeper into paleontology. And through resources like the comprehensive Dinopedia, engaging periodicals focused on paleontology and interactive learning experiences, it empowered young learners to go beyond the movies and explore the fascinating realm of dinosaur science. Unfortunately, while once showcasing an admirable five-year dedication to education, the unique legacy of the Jurassic Park Institute now resides in the archives of the Wayback Machine, slowly being forgotten by the passing decades.
How Jurassic Park Brought Paleontology Into Pop Culture
Jurassic Park, although never billed as a documentary, played a significant role in reshaping the public's perception of dinosaurs in a positive way. Departing from previous depictions of Hollywood's prehistoric movie stars as stiff, cold-blooded monsters, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World played a significant role in popularizing the concept of modern birds evolving from dinosaurs. Throughout the Jurassic Park franchise, the dinosaurs were depicted with feathers, exhibited complex social behaviors, and were reaffirmed by lines such as "I bet you'll never look at birds the same way again." And while not always accurate, Jurassic Park's dinosaurs sparked an interest in their real-life counterparts, and thanks to the Jurassic Park Institute, visitors had the opportunity to learn more about them.
In the sci-fi genre, there's nothing more wild than the human imagination. However, sci-fi sometimes serves as more than an escape or an exercise in thought. Interestingly, through franchises such as Jurassic Park, Star Trek, and even Futurama, audiences develop an appreciation for science, technology and the progress being made in those fields. Jurassic Park doesn't always get things right or predict the future, but it proved it could certainly help build a better one by inspiring audiences to explore the world around them.