Dinosaur Isle — Attraction in Sandown

Before I got to Dinosaur Isle I thought I wouldn't like it as I am not particularly enthralled by museums. What I arrived and saw the parking charges of a minimum of £4.00 I really began to dislike the place because I thought it was a rip off. How wrong could I have been? Firstly it is one of the cheaper attractions on the island and secondly if you hand in the receipt part of your parking ticket you get a refund of £2.50 by way of a reduction on your entry price. Everything that you see in the museum has at one time or another existed on the island. As such you will not find any examples of a Tyrannosaurus rex or a triceratops as there is no evidence of them existing at any time on IOW. As you go around there are large amounts of exhibits, facts and general information all of which I found fascinating. There are also a number of sound effects which I thought added something special to the overall ambience of the place. However both my young children (almost four years old and 17 months old) found them quite frightening and it put them off the exhibits. Upstairs you will find a lovely quiet area which is used as an education room. Here children of all ages (I got quite involved) can colour in or paint various pictures as well as read a number of books on dinosaurs or play with the good number of soft dinosaur toys. It is very well thought out. Back downstairs there is the gift shop but unlike most other gift shops this one has many reasonably priced items so that you can still treat the children without breaking the bank. Finally, and the best bit of all, the member of staff on duty in the admissions and gift shop area was so incredibly jolly and friendly and helpful that she made the visit totally perfect and ensured we left with smiles on our faces. She is worth her weight in gold. Thank you for making us...

We went as a family of 4 (2 adults, 1 toddler and 1 baby). Parking is a flat rate of £4 (irrespective of length of time spent there). Upon entering the place, the staff were friendly and welcoming. The pay area and gift shop (it's combined) were well laid out. We were advised that due to parking that had been paid for that we would receive a discount for entry fees (which we gratefully received). The entry prices were very cheap (£5 per adult) and children went cheaper (from the ages of 3-15, I think - I cannot remember the exact age for pricing) but under 3's went free! We were also advised regarding the toilet facilities (wheelchair accessible and a changing table was available for our baby). The museum is well laid out with so much to see! Whilst there was an abundance of information readily available this was not appreciated by our toddler. He was more interested in the interactive areas that were available. From viewing things through the microscope to making a robotic dinosaur move, he was certainly entertained for a good hour! With dinosaur bones to view, geological rocks to see and other items (including 'What did Dinosaurs smell?' and a colouring section for tracing) there was a lot to do to keep little ones (and older ones) entertained. I would recommend visiting Dinosaur Isle, it's fascinating to learn what was unearthed on the...

Dinosaur Isle is Britain's first purpose built dinosaur museum and visitor attraction; based in Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The Island's diverse geology contains a wealth of fossils that tell us much about the past and gives clues to the effects of possible future environmental changes. Starting about 126 million years ago the rocks record the best exposures of dinosaur material in Europe. Progressively younger rocks record a variety of animals that were living on the land, in the rivers, and those that flew above lakes and lived in the seas. Plants are also well recorded on the Island. These remains show that for much of the time we were once a lot warmer and further from the sea. The youngest fossils are those from the more recent cold climates of the Ice-Ages.

This story is displayed in the museum's galleries for you to learn and enjoy.

The museum provides an all-year education service for schools and other organizations, and a programme of public walks at places of geological and palaeontological interest. The collections were started by members of the Isle of Wight Philosophical Society over 200 years ago, and have been added to over the years.  Many of Dinosaur Isle's fossils appear in scientific publications, and continue to be researched. Dinosaur Isle is the most recent building to house the collection,...