Dinosaur Isle

Dinosaur Isle
The outside of Dinosaur Isle.
Established	2001
Location	Sandown, Isle of Wight
Curator	Steve Hutt
Website	Website

Dinosaur Isle is a purpose-built dinosaur museum located on the Isle of Wight in southern England.^[1]

The museum was designed by Isle of Wight architects Rainey Petrie Johns in the shape of a giant pterosaur.^[2] It claims to be the first custom-built dinosaur museum in Europe. The £2.7 million cost of the museum was provided by Isle of Wight Council and the National Lottery Millennium Commission.^[3] Dinosaur Isle opened to visitors on 20 August 2001.

The museum features numerous replica fossils and life-sized models of Iguanodon, Polacanthus, Eotyrannus and Neovenator - the latter is animatronic.^[2] The Neovenator was discovered and named by the museum's curator Steve Hutt. Guests are given the opportunity to speak to experts and watch them at work.

History

The geological collections owned by Dinosaur Isle have evolved and expanded from collections made by 19th century naturalists. The Isle of Wight Philosophical Society founded a museum in Newport in 1819 and over the next fifty years the collection grew and expanded into local history, archaeology and geology objects. In 1913 the Society’s geological specimens were transferred to Sandown Library, and arranged to form a museum, first opening to the public in 1923 and known as the Museum of Isle of Wight Geology. The collection became the property of the Sandown and Shanklin Urban District Council, but was curated by the Isle of Wight Natural History Society until 1942. From the late 1940s until 1974 the Borough Council employed a succession of honorary custodians. From time to time the collection was added to by material from older museums at Ventnor and Ryde.

In 1974 the Geology Collections came into the care of the Isle of Wight Council, which since appointed full time curators to care for them. In 2001, the Museum of Isle of Wight Geology vacated the premises above Sandown Library, moving to the newly built Dinosaur Isle in its current location.^[4]

Collections

The Collections currently consist of about 30,000 geological specimens, mainly fossils. They reflect the breadth of the Island’s geological history, ranging from Early Cretaceous to Early Oligocene and Pleistocene age. The collection contains partial and near complete dinosaur skeletons, including the type of Neovenator salerii, the museums most notable collection. Other type and figured material includes Cretaceous and Palaeogene molluscs and vertebrates. Representative rock and mineral specimens from the island are also included in the collection.^[4]

See also

Dinosaurs portal

• Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight

References

1. ^ "Things to do in South East England - Dinosaur Isle". www.visitsoutheastengland.com. http://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/site/things-to-do/dinosaur-isle-p143561. Retrieved 2008-12-15. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Enjoy England - Dinosaur Isle". www.enjoyengland.com. http://www.enjoyengland.com/Attraction/Sandown/Museum/135020/Dinosaur-Isle.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-15. 
3. ^ "Dinosaur Isle official website - About Us". www.dinosaurisle.com. http://www.dinosaurisle.com/about_us.aspx. Retrieved 2008-12-15. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Dinosaur Isle official website - Collections and Research Home". www.dinosaurisle.com. http://www.dinosaurisle.com/collections.aspx. Retrieved 2008-12-15. 

External links

• Dinosaur Isle website

Coordinates: 50°39′33″N 1°08′34″W / 50.6592°N 1.1428°W / 50.6592; -1.1428