Dinosaur Isle facts for kids
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The outside of Dinosaur Isle
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| Established | 2001 |
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| Location | Sandown, Isle of Wight |
| Type | Paleontological |
| Visitors | 60,000+ |
Dinosaur Isle is a fantastic museum built especially for dinosaurs! You can find it in Sandown on the Isle of Wight in southern England.
This amazing museum was designed by an architect named Rainey Petrie Johns. He made it look like a giant pterosaur, which is a flying reptile from the time of the dinosaurs. It's even thought to be the very first museum in Europe built just for dinosaurs!
Contents
Discovering Dinosaur Isle's Past
For a long time, people on the Isle of Wight have been finding incredible dinosaur bones. In the 1800s, many collectors, like the Reverend William Fox, dug up new types of dinosaurs. These included Aristosuchus, Hypsilophodon foxii, and Polacanthus.
Most of these amazing finds were sent away to other places for study. Because of this, the Isle of Wight Council decided it was time to start their very own collection.
A Museum for Island Fossils
The Isle of Wight's first museum for geology (the study of rocks and fossils) opened in Sandown in 1923. It was called the "Museum of Isle of Wight Geology."
Then, in 2001, the new and improved Dinosaur Isle museum opened its doors! It cost about £2.7 million to build. This money came from the Isle of Wight Council and the National Lottery Millennium Commission.
Dinosaur Isle welcomed its first visitors on August 10, 2001. Today, it holds over 40,000 fossil pieces! The museum also offers exciting field trips. You can join them to explore the island's best fossil-hunting spots.
Exploring the Exhibits
Your adventure at Dinosaur Isle starts by exploring different ancient worlds. You'll see fossils from the Ice Age, including bones from ancient bison. There's even a cool moving model of an Ophthalmosaurus from the BBC show Walking with Dinosaurs!
Before you enter the main room, you'll see some of the first animals from the Mesozoic Era. This was the time when dinosaurs lived. You'll also discover amazing sea creatures from that period.
The Main Dinosaur Hall
The biggest room in the museum is all about dinosaurs! Here, you'll find many life-size models and replicas. You can see plant-eating dinosaurs like Iguanodon, Polacanthus, and Hypsilophodon.
There are also meat-eating dinosaurs, such as Eotyrannus. You'll also see a huge Neovenator salerii. This dinosaur was found on the Isle of Wight in 1978! A replica skeleton of the famous Megalosaurus is also on display.
Meet Pink Iggy
One of the most special exhibits is the skeleton of an Iguanodon called MIWG.5126, or "Pink Iggy." It was found in 1976 by Steve Hutt, one of the museum's curators. Most of its bones were still connected! It got its name because the rocks it was found in had a pink color. You can also see the fossil of a small ancient crocodile called Koumpiodontosuchus.
On one of the walls, you'll see models of different pterosaur heads. The museum even has the original fossil of a pterosaur called Caulkicephalus.
Talk to a Palaeontologist
One of the coolest things about Dinosaur Isle is that you can talk to real palaeontologists! These are scientists who study fossils. You can even watch them as they work on new discoveries. It's a great chance to ask questions and learn more about dinosaurs!
See also
- Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight
Images for kids
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First discoveries of Dinosaurs in England
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Dinosaur Hall
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Hypsilophodon foxii life size model on display
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Pink Iggy, Iguanodon skeleton
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Polacanthus foxi life size model on display
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Neovenator Salerii discovered in 1978 in the isle of Wight
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Dinosaur Hall
