Taking Kids to Magical Shanghai: A Dinosaur Adventure at Songcheng – A Nanny-Level Guide

By the Huangpu River, next to the Expo Museum, Songcheng has arrived in Shanghai!

The moment Shanghai Songcheng opened, it sparkled and instantly became an internet sensation, making waves across the entire Yangtze River Delta!

Like the city itself, it's full of magic, completely flipping the traditional Songcheng playbook. Everything here is unpredictable – show after show, each one hitting new heights.

It’s incredibly powerful, with so many amazing things to see and do that it appeals to all ages.

Exit at Metro Shibo Avenue Station, Gate 1, and right ahead you’ll see a uniquely designed container-style building – that’s Shanghai Songcheng.

The whole attraction is inside this seven-storey building, packed with shows and activities. The space design is brilliantly done, cleverly guiding visitors through perfectly planned routes, with surprises on every floor.

Let me first walk you through what’s on each floor so you won’t be lost when you visit.

1st Floor: Ghost Ship, Warfire, Costume Studio, Theater No.2 (WA! Dinosaurs), Theater No.5 (Passionate Samba), Magic Street, Sky Screen, Snack Plaza, Restaurants.

Outdoor 1F: Colorful Forest, Forest Theater, Bird Show Theater (Forest Divine Birds), Music Plaza, Water Park.

2nd Floor: Songcheng Story Exhibition, Sister Abu's Story Room, Galaxy Restaurant.

3rd Floor: Art Exhibition Space, Multipurpose Space.

4th Floor: Theater No.1, Theater No.3 (Shanghai Eternal Love performance venue), Costume Studio, Tracing Shanghai's Roots, Eternal Love Street.

5th Floor: Multipurpose Space.

6th Floor: Slanted House, Sideways House, Invisible House, VR Experience (Moonlight Box), Storm Eye, Arabian Nights, Heavenly Market, Sky Club Bar.

7th Floor Rooftop: City in the Sky (Water Spirit), Glass Viewing Platform, Cliff Theater, Elf Valley, Fantasy Space, Slide, Haunting Tales.

A friendly tip: The shows at Theater No.1 & No.3 (Shanghai Eternal Love), Theater No.2 (WA! Dinosaurs), and Theater No.5 (Passionate Samba) require a valid ticket; everything else is free to enjoy.

If you ask any little one what their favorite prehistoric animal is, they’ll surely answer: dinosaurs.

Instead of playing mind games with your little monster at home this summer, bring them to see a dinosaur show. Head to Theater No.2 on the first floor for “WA! Dinosaurs”, a 40-minute parent-child show that has become a must-visit for families ever since it started. It almost feels like you’re a neglectful parent if you don’t take your kids.

We entered the theater early, but to our surprise, it was already quite full – clearly, the kids had been eagerly waiting for this dinosaur spectacle.

Everywhere you look in the theater, there are dinosaur elements big and small. No wonder it’s praised as the “Oriental Jurassic”. What child can resist dinosaurs? I doubt there is any.

“WA! Dinosaurs” runs several times daily at fixed times. We watched the 15:40 show. It started in a professor’s dinosaur lab, where a fossil was successfully revived into a dinosaur named “Abu”. Guided by Abu, we time-traveled back to the Jurassic era, and incredibly lifelike pterosaurs, T-Rexes, Velociraptors appeared on stage.

The moment they came out, the little audience’s adrenaline spiked – which kid doesn’t love dinosaurs?

“WA! Dinosaurs” is a hit high-tech, big-production stage show, blending art and science throughout. The entire performance is packed with knowledge points, making it a perfect tool for pampering your kids.

Let’s travel back to the Jurassic and give your child a wondrous journey, turning textbook facts into reality. It frees children from books and classrooms, letting them learn while having fun – never a dull moment.

They absorb knowledge just by watching a stage play.

With plots like “Abu Falls Over” and “Protect the Dinosaur Egg”, the story twists and turns, full of fun.

That giant egg on stage is a dinosaur egg – the audience is encouraged to protect it, nurturing environmental awareness from an early age.

When the ultra-realistic “dinosaurs” walked down the aisles near the seats, kids scrambled to touch these 200-million-year-old creatures, filling the theater with exclamations.

Several mysterious interactive moments were cleverly slipped into the show, each one a delightful surprise that thrilled the children.

The laughter and joy of the kids never stopped, and the magical journey ended with hot song and dance numbers by dozens of dinosaurs.

The 40-minute show was so brilliant that the kids didn’t want to leave.

Besides “WA! Dinosaurs”, there are also “Shanghai Eternal Love” and “Passionate Samba”, among others. I’ll check those off my list next time.

The first floor isn’t just about the “WA! Dinosaurs” parent-child show. You’ll also find Theater No.5’s dining show “Passionate Samba”, Magic Street, Costume Studio, the giant Sky Screen, “Ghost Ship”, “Warfire”, and the Snack Plaza.

Walk in through a “Time Corridor” with movie posters from Songcheng theaters displayed on both sides.

The best way to experience Shanghai Songcheng properly is to rent a qipao at the entrance and travel back to 1921 (qipao with makeup and styling costs 158 yuan, and you can wear it till closing time).

Passing through the corridor, you reach Magic Snack Street, lined with ice cream shops, dessert parlors, and barbecue stalls – plenty to satisfy any craving.

On Magic Street, there’s a “Supply and Marketing Cooperative” selling childhood snacks we used to buy at corner stores. It’s also filled with telephones and typewriters from the 1980s, along with vintage game consoles. It’s not easy to track down all these bygone items.

There’s even a green train – “board” the Shanghai–Harbin train and capture your travel moments.

While playing, people on the street suddenly crowded around – a bubble show was on.

We can only blow small bubbles, but the performer created giant ones that completely wrapped a child inside.

At the same spot, different shows play at different times. “Miracle” is performed here too – simply put, it’s magic. As much as I want to figure out the tricks, I never can. It’s fun and interactive ~ Multiple shows daily, each 15 minutes. Follow the official “Shanghai Songcheng” WeChat account for real-time show schedules.

Magic Street is indeed magical. Look up and see the giant Sky Screen – sometimes a whale swims right overhead, giving an underwater-world vibe; other times, light and shadow dance, creating such gorgeous scenes that your eyes can’t take it all in.

When we returned here at night, the place had transformed into a steam punk city. The “Punk Flash Mob” performers were swaying with the rock band.

Strange, eye-catching characters roamed around, impossible to ignore.

The actors moved through the street, interacting closely with visitors, making everyone want to groove along. In the end, you couldn’t tell who was performer and who was visitor.

Finally, it turned into a full-on street carnival – this party isn’t complete without you!

On the first floor, there’s also the “Ghost Ship”. Just the name hints at eeriness. Everything here is so realistic you can’t tell if real people are playing ghosts or the ghosts have become people. A “person” lying down suddenly sits up, and in the corridor, triggered by footsteps, a figure with wild hair flies out, almost face-to-face with you – guaranteed to make you scream and jump. Don’t forget to run fast! Recommended rating: 4 stars. Scariness: 4 stars.

Visiting a haunted house isn’t much to brag about, but the highlight is the Horror Restaurant. Just imagine having a big meal surrounded by ghosts – can you swallow your food?

There’s also “Warfire” on the first floor, depicting war scenes. Cannons roar and endless explosions make you feel like you’re inside a war movie – perfect for photos.

As you look around, these figures seem like statues.

But when I pointed my camera at a female soldier and pressed the shutter, she suddenly spoke: “I’m human.” What a shock!

The outdoor splash pool on the first floor is a parent-child paradise. Many parents bring their kids here to play in the water and tackle fun water obstacles. The children go absolutely wild – remember to pack a change of clothes.

Spend 15 yuan on a cup of carrots to feed the alpacas and get up close with these cute creatures.

Watching them so engrossed in play that they forget their parents actually warms my heart.

“Forest Divine Birds” is another unmissable show for families at Shanghai Songcheng. The venue is the Bird Show Theater in the outdoor area on the first floor. There are all kinds of parrots here, true language masters – they can say anything.

They really are like divine birds: skateboarding, cycling, lifting dumbbells, juggling balls, and bowling – real sports stars.

Parrots can even raise the national flag and pick up trash – more impressive than humans!

The Music Plaza outdoors on the first floor hosts martial arts performances during the day – we missed that, but luckily we didn’t miss the water-splashing party. At night, the Music Plaza holds a Songkran-style water festival that gets you totally soaked.

A little guy was carrying a heavy-duty water gun – a real fierce one. Many little girls will fall victim to him.

If you see someone you like, splash them! The more you splash, the more you like them.

The 2nd floor houses the Songcheng Story Exhibition, a study, and a restaurant. On the left-hand side, several walls display the development of Songcheng and its walls of honors.

The artsy vibe here is strong – an entire wall of bookshelves, a favorite photo spot for artsy girls~

Sister Abu’s Story Room is also on the second floor, where a teacher is telling stories to the children.

While the kids absorb knowledge diligently, parents relax on the side, on their phones or snacking – there’s food sold nearby.

Theater No.2 on the second floor is the 5D large-scale live experience show “The Great Earthquake”, which reproduces in full and in stereo the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and the rescue efforts.

When the show starts, latecomers can enter directly from the first floor because the theater is tiered, with seating from level one to level two, and doors on both floors. So it’s correct to say “The Great Earthquake” is on both the 1st and 2nd floors.

Before the performance, the director suddenly recruited from the audience 8 soldiers, 8 firefighters, 8 nurses, and 15 civilians. Amazingly, these recruits had no rehearsal, no instructions – they just followed the actors on stage and pulled it off.

The show brings back the pain felt by all Chinese people. The ground shakes, the seats tremble along, giving you a real earthquake sensation. Because these are not standard seats, it’s not recommended for visitors over 70 or children under 6 to sit in rows 2 to 15.

In the face of natural disaster, the whole nation united to rescue. The scene of the soldiers flying in was especially spectacular. Truly, the audience cried their hearts out.

There’s also a water show – a thousand tons of water cascades on stage. I sat in the front row, and the mist sprayed right onto me. This one, I highly recommend.

On the second floor, the Galaxy Restaurant brings together world cuisines: Shanghai-style stir-fry, spicy hot pot, fruits, snacks – plenty of choices. It’s spacious, accommodating a thousand diners. There’s also an outdoor area where you can dine while gazing at the Huangpu River.

The 3rd floor is an art exhibition space and multipurpose area.

It was hosting a fascinating ventriloquist show, with a puppet gorilla that could talk.

The 4th floor has Theaters No.1 and No.3, Eternal Love Street, Modern Costume Studio, Tracing Shanghai’s Roots, a bar, and a terrace. This floor is always crowded because the main show “Shanghai Eternal Love” is performed here. Actually, audience in rows 1–16 can enter from the 2nd floor, rows 17–36 from the 3rd, and rows 37+ from the 4th.

When there’s no show, a “Hello! Chaplin” performance takes place outside the “Shanghai Eternal Love” theater.

As soon as the comical “Chaplin” clown appears, children flock around. Not only does he perform, but he also pulls several kids into the act and hands out little gifts – way too irresistible for the little ones!

He may be a bit funny-looking, but the show is truly entertaining.

Next to the theater is “Tracing Shanghai’s Roots”, perfect to browse while waiting in line. Inside, you’ll find a “confidential bureau”, various old Shanghai TV sets, vintage song-and-dance posters in front of old shikumen houses, and a riverside pub – nostalgia lovers will enjoy it.

When we were kids, the sight of an ice pop cart made us pester our mothers, even though back then, their pockets were usually empty.

I remember how every night, after we siblings had fallen asleep, our mother would sit at a sewing machine like this, making clothes for us, often until late at night.

On Eternal Love Street, the “Modern Costume Studio” attracts many girls and young women. They choose from Hanfu, qipao, and Western-style dresses, instantly transforming into stylish trendsetters of magical old Shanghai.

The dazzling, glamorous, and indulgent lifestyle of old Shanghai has always set international trends.

This young lad even appeared on CCTV’s evening news. So, any explosive news today?

On the 4th floor, there’s a terrace with a sculpture of a red chair. There’s another identical one in the first-floor garden – both are signature sculptures. Go snap a picture too.

The 5th floor is a multipurpose space that mainly hosts a parent-child carnival. Different events happen at different times: at 12:10 and 17:15 it’s the Dinosaur Sports Day (15 minutes each), and at 15:10, 18:30, and 19:25 it’s Sister Abu’s Dance Class (8 minutes each).

We managed to catch the 15:10 Dinosaur Sports Day. Mothers and children dressed up in dinosaur suits, relay-racing to see whose family was fastest.

The 6th floor is packed with attractions: Theater No.6, Heavenly Market, Arabian Nights, “Storm Eye”, “Moonlight Box” VR Experience, “Crystal Ball” performance, Slanted House, Sideways House, and more.

“Heavenly Market” recreates a One Thousand and One Nights world, with lots of Arabian-themed goods. Exotic shops unfold before your eyes.

Handmade enamel art, Bohemian tableware, and more – it feels like arriving in the Western Regions, as if you’ve stepped into the Middle East amid the colorful products.

If something catches your eye, don’t hesitate to snap it up.

This floor also has a Joyful Art Workshop, with free sessions at 13:20 daily and 18:30 each evening, half an hour each, perfect for kids.

A tunnel hides a kaleidoscope – beautiful, with people lining up to enter and capture photos you’d never get in real life.

Next to the kaleidoscope is an archery range, where kids can build arm strength and improve accuracy. If they hit a bullseye every time, maybe next time they can hunt some game in the northeast – just kidding!

The Slanted House, Sideways House, and Invisible House are all on this floor, giving you an upside-down world experience.

In the Sideways House, you’re standing upright, but in photos, it looks like you’re lying on the bed.

The 7th floor is the rooftop terrace – a fairy-tale, dreamlike, yet slightly thrilling level. Here you’ll find the Cliff Concert, Elf Valley, Haunting Tales, City in the Sky, Glass Viewing Platform, Slide, and Vine Bridge.

To get to the Vine Bridge, exit from the bar on the 6th floor. Kids absolutely love this wobbly bridge – they have so much fun.

On the terrace is Elf Valley, where the huts from the Hobbiton in New Zealand have been faithfully recreated, telling the story of the seven dwarfs.

Influenced by The Lord of the Rings, children adore this spot, and it’s a fantastic place for parents too. Recommended rating: 5 stars.

“Haunting Tales” is another spot that scares kids (and adults). Though it’s a small haunted house, it still frightens those who enter.

But once they come out, they’re fearless and take photos with the “ghosts”.

Fear or no fear, it’s all in the mind.

On one side of Elf Valley, there are slides and a climbing wall – not only for kids, plenty of adults join in too.

The rooftop terrace is huge, with the Huangpu River behind and Lujiazui’s “tallest three” in the distance. You can also see Lupu Bridge up close. It’s a must to take a photo with the scenery of both banks of the Huangpu. At dusk, it’s even more beautiful.

There’s a Cliff Concert at night. By the time we came up from the water splashing on the first floor, the concert had already ended, so we sadly missed a great show.

Even though we arrived at 11 a.m. and didn’t leave until after 7 p.m., we still missed quite a few shows. There are simply too many things to see and do – this Shanghai Songcheng is like a giant mystery box that keeps surprising visitors. It’s a happy planet for both kids and adults.

Address: No. 1750, Shibo Avenue, Pudong New District.

The location is superb, easily reached by Metro Line 13. It’s also very convenient for those driving from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai!