Dinosaur Museum

The Dinosaur Museum is unique - It is Britain's only museum devoted to dinosaurs and the fascinating world in which they lived. Exciting and innovative displays complement exhibits of actual fossils, skeletons, and life-size reconstructions. The Museum has earned a reputation nationally for its excellent interpretative techniques.

Dinosaurs ruled the land for some 140 million years, finally becoming extinct 65 million years ago. Our fascination with dinosaurs started in the 1820's and when in 1841 Sir Richard Owen invented the word "dinosauria" - meaning terrible lizard - to describe this group of prehistoric monsters, a kind of dinosaur fever was created. This 'fever' still exists today and can be found in the Dinosaur Museum.

The visitor immediately encounters a skeleton of the famous meat-eating dinosaur, Megalosaurus, with its sickle-like claws and teeth, mounted over footprints made by that dinosaur. It vividly contrasts with the skeleton of the small fleet-footed plant-eating dinosaur, Hypsilophodon.

The life-size reconstructions are awe-inspiring and beg to be touched by small hands. This is encouraged, along with the handling of some fossils. The juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex is 3.6 metres tall and over 6 metres long. Tyrannosaurus rex is the largest meat-eating animal ever to have lived. Adjacent to Tyrannosaurus Rex is the plated dinosaur Stegosaurus, distinctive for the double row of bony plates arranged along its back and the large spikes on its tail.

The Museum's courtyard is dominated by the reconstruction of the massive Triceratops. It is 7.5 metres long and would have weighed 5.4 tonnes in real life. Triceratops is characterised by its enormous head, bony frill, and three long horns. The most dynamic reconstruction is that of Corythosaurus. She has been nicknamed 'Dina' and comes to life on her many public and television appearances.

Modern day technology in the form of computer and audio-visual programmes relate the fascinating story of these prehistoric animals. Visitors can feel into the past with the 'feely' box and discover what a dinosaur really felt like, if they dare! The colour chamber gives the opportunity to experiment with different colour combinations and to speculate on what colour dinosaurs were -nobody actually knows for certain because colour does not fossilize.

Three-dimensional displays and exhibits are complemented by a wealth of informative graphical and pictorial material. Displays are stratified vertically with simple facts low down and more in-depth information higher up. The Dinosaur Museum is regularly featured on television, appearing in documentaries, children's and entertainment programmes. It was nominated for the European Museum of the Year award in 1986.

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