Blockbuster Dinosaur Exhibition Opens
Published: 17 May 2012
The most extensive and interactive dinosaur exhibition ever to come to Northern Ireland will open to the public this weekend (Friday 18 May) at the Ulster Museum.
Already billed as a “must-see”, ‘Age of the Dinosaur’ is a fascinating journey through the worlds in which dinosaurs lived and includes life-sized moving dinosaurs alongside more than 60 unique specimens including real dinosaur bones.
The exhibition, which runs until 16 September, is being staged in partnership with the Natural History Museum, London. Visitors are advised to pre-book their ticket here to avoid disappointment. The Ulster Museum will open on Mondays during July and August to facilitate demand over the holiday period.
Accompanying the exhibition is a fully interactive and hands-on discovery zone - Discover Dinosaurs where visitors can handle original fossils including giant leg bones, skulls and dinosaur eggs. Children can also take part in a special ‘Dino Dig’ activity and learn how to be a palaeontologist, or measure their own height against the actual height of some dinosaurs.
National Museums Northern Ireland’s Director of Collections and Interpretation, Dr Jim McGreevy, said it was a major coup for the Ulster Museum to bring this world-class exhibition to Northern Ireland: “This is one of the most outstanding dinosaur exhibitions ever to come to the Ulster Museum. It’s set to thrill and excite our visitors as the 7 full-scale robotic dinosaurs swing into action! ‘Age of the Dinosaur’ brings alive the fascinating world of dinosaurs and we are sure that visitors will be captivated by its sights, sounds and even smells.”
Jan English, Head of Touring Exhibitions at the National History Museum, said: “Natural History Museum is thrilled to present at Ulster Museum our newest dinosaur exhibition, Age of the Dinosaur, in partnership with National Museums Northern Ireland.
“A hit with visitors of all ages, the exhibitioncombines stunning imagery, animatronic dinosaurs and over 60 specimens from the Museum’s world renowned collections. We are delighted to have the opportunity to showcase this exciting exhibition to audiences in Northern Ireland just prior to launching the international tour of the exhibition to venues worldwide.”
To mark the opening of the exhibition on 18 May, the Ulster Museum is running a ‘Dinosaurs at Night’ event which will see the museum stay open until 9pm with last entry to ‘Age of the Dinosaur’ at 8.15pm. For details of other dinosaur-related events including walking tours, lectures, puppet shows and movie screenings visit the Ulster Museum What's On page.
Age of the Dinosaur exhibition family tickets (5 people with a maximum of 2 adults) are priced at £18.95, adults £6.95, children and concessions £3.95, children 3 and under go free.
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