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120 Jurassic Park Trivia Questions & Answers: Life Finds a Way

Welcome to Jurassic Park. Please keep your arms inside the tour vehicle, do not trust the electric fences, and definitely do not assume the T. rex paddock will stay quiet.

These 120 Jurassic Park trivia questions cover the 1993 classic, its characters and dinosaurs, filmmaking breakthroughs, sequels, and the details that turned a fictional dinosaur park into one of cinema's most recognizable worlds.

Why Jurassic Park Makes Great Trivia

Jurassic Park mixes science fiction, adventure, horror, paleontology, memorable characters, and groundbreaking visual effects. Even people who have not watched it recently tend to remember the rippling water glass, the kitchen raptors, the amber-topped cane, and one extremely unfortunate lawyer.

Universal calls Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park one of the studio's landmark films, and the franchise has continued for decades. For more screen challenges, try our movie trivia, dinosaur trivia, or science trivia.


Tyrannosaurus rex effects maquette from Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park Basics

Q: In what year was Jurassic Park released?
A: 1993.

Q: Who directed Jurassic Park?
A: Steven Spielberg.

Q: Which author wrote the novel that inspired the film?
A: Michael Crichton.

Q: What fictional island is home to Jurassic Park?
A: Isla Nublar.

Q: Off the coast of what Central American country is Isla Nublar said to be located?
A: Costa Rica.

Q: Who created Jurassic Park inside the story?
A: John Hammond.

Q: What company operates the park?
A: InGen, short for International Genetic Technologies.

Q: What prehistoric animals are the park's main attraction?
A: Genetically recreated dinosaurs.

Q: What material preserves the ancient insects used in the park's DNA explanation?
A: Amber.

Q: What animals had bitten dinosaurs before becoming trapped in amber, according to the park's DNA presentation?
A: Mosquitoes.

Q: What modern animal DNA is used to fill gaps in dinosaur genetic sequences?
A: Frog DNA.

Q: Why does the park initially make all its dinosaurs female?
A: It is intended as a population-control measure to prevent breeding.

Q: What famous warning does Ian Malcolm repeatedly make about trying to control life?
A: Life is unpredictable and will find ways around human attempts to contain it.

Q: What kind of attraction is Jurassic Park intended to become?
A: A dinosaur theme park and biological preserve open to visitors.

Q: What event forces Hammond to bring outside experts to inspect the park before opening?
A: A worker is badly injured by a Velociraptor, alarming investors and insurers.


Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler & Ian Malcolm

Q: What is Dr. Alan Grant's profession?
A: Paleontologist.

Q: What is Dr. Ellie Sattler's field?
A: Paleobotany.

Q: What kind of scientist is Dr. Ian Malcolm?
A: A mathematician specializing in chaos theory.

Q: Who plays Alan Grant?
A: Sam Neill.

Q: Who plays Ellie Sattler?
A: Laura Dern.

Q: Who plays Ian Malcolm?
A: Jeff Goldblum.

Q: What does Grant use at a dig site to frighten a boy who mocks Velociraptors?
A: A fossilized raptor claw.

Q: How does Grant initially feel about children?
A: He is uncomfortable around them and openly says he does not like them.

Q: What happens to Grant's attitude toward children over the course of the movie?
A: He becomes protective of Tim and Lex and grows much more comfortable with them.

Q: What mathematical concept does Malcolm use to argue that the park cannot be fully controlled?
A: Chaos theory.

Q: Which scientist notices that a sick Triceratops's droppings contain no obvious clue to its illness?
A: Ellie Sattler.

Q: Who leaves the main tour to stay with the sick Triceratops?
A: Ellie Sattler.

Q: Who is injured during the Tyrannosaurus rex attack?
A: Ian Malcolm, among others caught in the chaos.

Q: Which character becomes famous for dry one-liners and skepticism about the park from the start?
A: Ian Malcolm.

Q: Which member of the trio spends much of the second half protecting Hammond's grandchildren in the wilderness?
A: Alan Grant.


John Hammond, the Kids & Park Staff

Q: Who plays John Hammond?
A: Richard Attenborough.

Q: What relationship do Lex and Tim have to Hammond?
A: They are his grandchildren.

Q: Which grandchild is older in the 1993 film?
A: Lex Murphy.

Q: Which grandchild is especially enthusiastic about dinosaurs?
A: Tim Murphy.

Q: What skill does Lex use to help restore the park's security?
A: Her computer skills.

Q: Who is the park's game warden?
A: Robert Muldoon.

Q: Who is Jurassic Park's chief engineer?
A: Ray Arnold.

Q: Who is the park's disgruntled computer programmer?
A: Dennis Nedry.

Q: Who is the lawyer representing the park's investors?
A: Donald Gennaro.

Q: What does Hammond repeatedly say he has "spared no"?
A: Expense.

Q: What visual feature is embedded in the top of Hammond's cane?
A: A piece of amber containing an insect.

Q: Who stays in the control room working through the shutdown problem before attempting to restore power?
A: Ray Arnold.

Q: What does Muldoon call the park's lead raptor?
A: The Big One.

Q: Who insists the raptors are dangerously intelligent long before the visitors encounter them loose?
A: Robert Muldoon.

Q: What does Hammond finally agree to do after the disaster?
A: Abandon his dream of opening the park.


Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus rex display looming over a Jeep

Tyrannosaurus Rex, Raptors & Other Dinosaurs

Q: Which dinosaur is the star predator of Jurassic Park?
A: Tyrannosaurus rex.

Q: What food is used in an unsuccessful attempt to lure the T. rex into view during the tour?
A: A goat.

Q: What dinosaur is sick when the tour group encounters it?
A: Triceratops.

Q: What dinosaur does Grant first see alive in the park, leaving him speechless?
A: Brachiosaurus.

Q: What small dinosaur kills Dennis Nedry?
A: Dilophosaurus.

Q: What fictional feature does the movie give Dilophosaurus for dramatic effect?
A: A neck frill and venom-spitting ability.

Q: What pack-hunting predators stalk Lex and Tim through the visitor center?
A: Velociraptors.

Q: What dinosaur herd chases Grant, Lex, and Tim across a field?
A: Gallimimus.

Q: Which giant predator attacks a Gallimimus during that stampede?
A: The T. rex.

Q: Where do the raptors hunt Lex and Tim in one of the film's most famous suspense scenes?
A: The kitchen.

Q: What reflective kitchen surface temporarily confuses one of the raptors?
A: A shiny metal cabinet door.

Q: What dinosaur eggs does Grant discover in the wild?
A: Hatched dinosaur eggs, proving the supposedly all-female population has reproduced.

Q: What biological explanation helps account for the dinosaurs changing sex and breeding?
A: DNA from certain frogs capable of sex changes was used to fill genetic gaps.

Q: Which dinosaur ultimately attacks the raptors inside the visitor center?
A: The T. rex.

Q: What falls dramatically as the T. rex roars at the end of the visitor-center battle?
A: A banner reading "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth."


Iconic Scenes & Quotes

Q: What causes the water in a cup to ripple before the T. rex appears?
A: The vibrations from the approaching dinosaur's footsteps.

Q: What weather hits Isla Nublar during the disastrous tour?
A: A tropical storm.

Q: What happens to the electric fences during Nedry's sabotage?
A: Their power is shut off.

Q: Where does Donald Gennaro hide during the T. rex attack?
A: In a restroom.

Q: What happens to Gennaro there?
A: The T. rex eats him.

Q: What kind of vehicle is crushed and pushed over the T. rex enclosure wall?
A: One of the park's electric Ford Explorer tour vehicles.

Q: What dangerous situation traps Tim after the T. rex attack?
A: The tour vehicle becomes lodged in a tree and later falls while Grant and Tim are beneath it.

Q: What happens to Tim when he is on the electric fence as the power comes back?
A: He receives a powerful electric shock.

Q: What phrase does Muldoon say just before a raptor ambushes him?
A: "Clever girl."

Q: What does Ellie discover after entering the maintenance shed to restore power?
A: A raptor is inside and Ray Arnold has been killed.

Q: What part of Arnold does Ellie suddenly encounter?
A: His severed arm.

Q: What computer command is used to lock doors against the raptors near the end?
A: Lex navigates the park's computer system and restores control over locks and security.

Q: What does Grant use to distract a raptor in the visitor center?
A: He throws a raptor skeleton or display elements during the frantic escape.

Q: How does the group escape Isla Nublar?
A: By helicopter.

Q: What peaceful animals does Grant watch from the helicopter at the end, suggesting life continues beyond dinosaurs?
A: Birds.


Jurassic Park themed dinosaur attraction display

Dennis Nedry, Sabotage & Park Technology

Q: Why does Dennis Nedry sabotage Jurassic Park?
A: He is secretly being paid to steal dinosaur embryos for a rival company.

Q: Who hires Nedry to steal the embryos?
A: Lewis Dodgson of Biosyn.

Q: Where does Nedry meet Dodgson before traveling to the island?
A: At a restaurant in San José, Costa Rica.

Q: What ordinary-looking object is used to smuggle embryos?
A: A modified can of Barbasol shaving cream.

Q: What does the fake shaving-cream can contain?
A: Refrigerated compartments for stolen embryos.

Q: Why does Nedry shut down important park systems?
A: He needs security disabled so he can reach the embryo storage and escape unnoticed.

Q: What happens to Nedry while he is trying to reach the docks?
A: He crashes, gets lost in the storm, and is killed by a Dilophosaurus.

Q: What happens to the stolen embryo can after Nedry dies?
A: It is buried in mud and never reaches its intended buyer.

Q: What kind of transportation moves visitors through the park during the main tour?
A: Automated electric tour vehicles.

Q: What dinosaur image appears repeatedly in the park's branding and logo?
A: A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton silhouette.

Q: What cartoon character explains cloning to visitors in the genetic laboratory presentation?
A: Mr. DNA.

Q: What computer problem does Arnold describe as being tied to millions of lines of code?
A: The complexity of managing the park's automated systems and undoing Nedry's sabotage.

Q: Why does the park's reliance on automation become dangerous?
A: A single insider can disrupt multiple linked systems, leaving animals, fences, locks, and staff vulnerable.

Q: What does Malcolm argue is wrong with Hammond's approach to discovery?
A: The park commercializes scientific power before fully understanding its consequences.

Q: What larger technology lesson drives the plot?
A: Sophisticated systems cannot eliminate biological uncertainty, human error, greed, or unexpected interactions.


Cast, Effects & Filmmaking

Q: Who composed the music for Jurassic Park?
A: John Williams.

Q: What company created the groundbreaking computer-generated dinosaurs?
A: Industrial Light & Magic, or ILM.

Q: Which effects artist and team created major full-size animatronic dinosaurs?
A: Stan Winston and his studio.

Q: What two major effects approaches were blended to make the dinosaurs convincing?
A: Computer-generated imagery and practical animatronics.

Q: Who plays Dennis Nedry?
A: Wayne Knight.

Q: Who plays Robert Muldoon?
A: Bob Peck.

Q: Who plays Ray Arnold?
A: Samuel L. Jackson.

Q: Who plays Lex Murphy?
A: Ariana Richards.

Q: Who plays Tim Murphy?
A: Joseph Mazzello.

Q: Who adapted Michael Crichton's novel for the screen with Crichton receiving screenplay credit alongside another writer?
A: David Koepp and Michael Crichton are credited screenwriters.

Q: What real storm affected production while the crew was filming in Hawaii?
A: Hurricane Iniki.

Q: What islands provided much of Jurassic Park's lush exterior scenery?
A: Hawaiian locations, particularly Kauai and Oahu.

Q: Why was Jurassic Park considered a visual-effects milestone?
A: Its combination of realistic CGI and detailed animatronics made living dinosaurs feel physically present in a way audiences had rarely seen.

Q: What Academy Awards did Jurassic Park win in technical categories?
A: Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Q: What lasting filmmaking impact did the dinosaur effects have?
A: They demonstrated that photorealistic digital creatures could carry major live-action sequences when combined carefully with practical effects.


Sequels & Hard Jurassic Challenge

Q: What was the first Jurassic Park sequel?
A: The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Q: In what year was The Lost World released?
A: 1997.

Q: Which original character becomes the lead of The Lost World?
A: Ian Malcolm.

Q: What second island is central to The Lost World and Jurassic Park III?
A: Isla Sorna.

Q: What was the third film in the original trilogy called?
A: Jurassic Park III.

Q: Which original protagonist returns as the lead in Jurassic Park III?
A: Alan Grant.

Q: What 2015 movie reopened the dinosaur attraction as a functioning resort?
A: Jurassic World.

Q: What is the genetically engineered hybrid predator in Jurassic World?
A: Indominus rex.

Q: Who plays dinosaur trainer Owen Grady in the Jurassic World films?
A: Chris Pratt.

Q: Who plays park executive Claire Dearing?
A: Bryce Dallas Howard.

Q: Which original trio reunites in Jurassic World Dominion?
A: Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm.

Q: What 2025 film began another chapter of the franchise?
A: Jurassic World Rebirth.

Q: Which screenwriter from the original Jurassic Park returned to write Jurassic World Rebirth?
A: David Koepp.

Q: What is one scientific detail in Jurassic Park that modern paleontology has made look especially dated?
A: Some dinosaur appearances, particularly Velociraptor size and lack of feathers, differ from current scientific understanding.

Q: Why does Jurassic Park remain unusually strong trivia material more than 30 years later?
A: It connects iconic dialogue, characters, dinosaurs, technology, practical effects, CGI history, science questions, a major film franchise, and scenes that became part of popular culture.


Ford Explorer styled as the Jurassic Park tour vehicle

How Did You Score?

If you remembered Isla Sorna, Mr. DNA, the Barbasol can, the Big One, and exactly why the supposedly all-female dinosaurs could breed, your Jurassic Park knowledge has survived the tour.

Keep digging with our dinosaur and paleontology trivia, or head back to the multiplex with movie trivia and science trivia.