Land Narrative
The narrative of Petroglyph Park is based on a plot device borrowed from the classic novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. The borrowed plot device is a journal written by explorers from long ago that guides our visitors to and through Petroglyph Park. This is the story and legend surrounding the journal.
A journal has recently been discovered in a dusty old archive at University of Oxford. The journal belonged to three explorers from long ago, and contains detailed notes, scientific observations and illustrations. It details the explorers’ journey to a strange, fantastical, and sometimes frightening place: a land untouched by man or time, hidden deep in the remote southern tip of Argentina. Their journal describes the discovery and exploration of a land inhabited by giant mammals, and is filled with biological illustrations. Very few people roam the land; the ones that do seem very primitive. Journal notes describe only rudimentary communications with them. Did the explorers somehow travel back in time, or is Petroglyph Park a living relic? No one knows. The most exciting discovery contained in the journal is a map, which leads us (guests) to Petroglyph Park and offers guidance through the land, marking all the crucial areas from the original explorers’ journey. The thirst for discoveries, and the spirit of adventure that is inherent in all of us beckons!
Because Petroglyph Park represents an undeveloped land, we don’t want to rely heavily on signage. Yet, we believe text (signs) is crucial not only for the flow of guests, but to support the narrative. The journal will serve a key role in fulfilling those two functions. Enlarged pages ripped from the journal will be displayed at intervals along the park’s paths, and will be placed in front of attractions when explanation is needed. Small copies of excerpts from the journal will be given to guests to function as their park maps. In addition, the “original explorers” will have left signs along the way to reassure us that we are still on the right path.
The narrative of the rides will allude to our story. Line cues will have artifacts collected from the journey, and photos of the explorers. The augmented reality safari host will tell the story of the explorers and their journey during the ride. Foods will be named after our explorers, and their discoveries, or even what they ate. We plan to tuck narrative into every nook and cranny.
The central character of the narrative is the journal, and the lore surrounding it. The wonder the original explorers felt at their discovery of the megafauna is a key driver of the story and therefore, megafauna are vital players in our park. We see them throughout the entire park intertwined with all the tendrils of the narrative from the massive megalodon statue/fountain anchoring the land, to the megafauna carousel, the megafauna vs. hominin dark ride, and every other ride in the park. We plan to have roving megafauna characters that interact with guests.
Of course, the three explorers are crucial players. To develop their characters further, we imagine them as a mountain climber/outdoors person, a biologist, and a cartographer. Our original explorers’ personalities are played out through the descriptions and advice in their journal writings, and artifacts they left behind. These all help tell the narrative and assist with flow by guiding guests through the park. Finally, the guests play a pivotal role in our story. They are the ones quenching the human thirst for discovery and adventure! They are discovering the wonder of it all for themselves by following in the original explorers’ footsteps.