Britain's only museum solely devoted to dinosaurs. Fossils, skeletons and life sized reconstructions, combined with audiovisual and hands-on displays.
The Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester is the only museum in the UK dedicated exclusively to dinosaurs. The museum has an international reputation for applying an innovative approach. It was the first museum in Britain to use computers with specially written programs in a display environment. It also invented the 'feely-box', which has since spread to become the standard hands-on display in museums across the country.
The exhibits are impressive. The first thing you see when you enter is a complete Megalosaurus skeleton, along with a rare set of footprints made by the same dinosaur. Multimedia displays give a detailed history of dinosaurs and explains how they lived on earth all those millions of years ago, as well as exploring what life might be like had dinosaurs not become extinct. The museum makes a special effort to appeal to children. Together with actual fossils there are full-scale models of a T-Rex, a Stegosaurus and a Triceratops, all of which can be touched by little hands.
The museum has appeared on Blue Peter and Tweenies, among others. One of it's dinosaurs claimed the record for wearing the biggest red nose on red nose day. The museum is always adding to its collection. In 2010 two superb examples of Woolly Mammoth tusks went on display.
The Dinosaur Museum is open daily all year round including Sundays.
