Dinosaur Isle Museum

About This Attraction

The Isle of Wight is one of the richest fossil sites in Britain, the richest dinosaur locality in Europe, and one of the top ten localities in the World. Dinosaur Isle Museum is the home to many of these finds. This includes the mounted skeleton of the carnivorous Neovenator, and plant eating Iguanodon. Dinosaur Isle also offers fabulous views across Sandown Bay.

Fossils

Dinosaur Isle boasts an impression collection of fossils and artifacts with around 300,000 incredible specimens of which over 1,000 are on display at any time. These prehistoric specimens include ammonites, molluscs, insects and of course dinosaurs that can be dated between the Early Cretaceous. However, the true stars of Dinosaur Isle include the Neovenator salerii and Eotyrannus lengi skeletons.

What’s in Dinosaur Isle Museum?

The museum is so much more than dinosaurs, with displays of fossils from across the Island including ammonites and Ice Age mammals. There are interactive exhibitions, plus visitors can meet the staff who work cleaning the fossils and the scientists who study them at their open lab door. 

Guests can take a walk from the Ice Age to the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs thrived, finishing in the impressive dinosaur gallery. Here you can view reconstructed skeletons, fossils, animatronic dinosaurs, and full-size fleshed reconstructions. Displays use a combination of sound, lighting, smells and technology to engage young visitors and bring prehistory to life.

This immersive experience even gives you the opportunity to pick up and touch real fossils dating up to 130 million years old.

Jan- June, Tuesday-Saturday 10am – 4 pm.

July and August daily 10 am – 5 pm.

September- December, Tuesday- Saturday 10 am – 4 pm.

Last admission one hour before closure.

Adult £6, Children and Pensioners £5.
Family (2 Adults & 2 Children) £17.50, (2 Adults & 3 Children) £20.50

Why should I visit?

    • Display of dinosaur bones, from the richest dinosaur locality in Europe.
    • Displays of dinosaur models and reconstructions
    • Interactives including animatronic dinosaur
    • Touch real dinosaur bones and fossils
    • Meet the experts who collect and study the bones

Facilities

Baby changing facilities
Disabled access
Disabled parking available
Gift shop
On site parking
Suitable for ages 3 and above
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Discount tickets and vouchers

 

Dinosaur Isle

Valid from 1st Jan 2023 until 31st Dec 2023

One Free child*

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Where to find us

Address

Culver Parade
Sandown
Isle of Wight
PO36 8QA

Tel:

01983 404344

Email:

dinosaur@iow.gov.uk

Website:

www.dinosaurisle.com

Find us online

By car, on arrival in Sandown, the museum can either be approached from the town direction via Avenue Road, turning left onto Culver Parade, or from Yaverland, from the Bembridge direction. From the Fishbourne car ferry follow signs for Sandown, you will arrive via Brading, where you can turn left at Yar Bridge, then left to Yaverland. Similarly, if travelling via East Cowes car ferry follow signs initially towards Newport, then at the large roundabout at the junction with the A3054, follow signs to Sandown, via Ryde then Brading.

The railway station is approximately 20 minutes’ walk. From the station walk down Station Avenue. At the bottom of the road turn right and follow the road to the junction at the library. Cross over onto the seafront road- Culver Parade to your left.

Located on Sandown seafront the museum is a short walk from the town. The No 8 bus from Newport stops outside the museum. Bus numbers 2 and 3 from Ryde bus station (and the ferries) stop in the town center.

Kids activities

harry hampshire

  • Touch real fossils and see real dinosaurs
  • Activity sheets and visit the education room to paint and draw
  • Fully stocked shop with a wide range of dinosaur gifts
  • Fossil collecting trips are offered at certain times of the year
  • Other booked events include build your own fossil collection

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