Dinosaur Island

The BBC Dinosaur Island dig In 1992 Steve Hutt, curator of the Museum of Isle of Wight Geology, was walking along the cliffs on the south-western side of the Isle of Wight when he spotted what looked like a small fragment of bone. Working on instinct he scraped the earth away to discover a more substantial bone, one that belonged to a creature that had fallen where Steve stood 120 million years ago. This resulted in the excavation of the Island’s largest dinosaur: Brachiosaurus.

This, and many other discoveries has led to the Isle of Wight's nickname of 'Dinosaur Island' and resulted in the recent dig with the BBC along the Island's south coast.

For more information on dinosaurs on the Isle of Wight . . .

BBC Dinosaur Island - Live
The Museum of Isle of Wight Geology

DINOSAUR ISLE

Costing £2.7 million, and supported by a lottery grant from the Millennium Commission, Dinosaur Isle is intended to be an imaginative window on the growing number of exciting dinosaur and other geological finds made on the Isle of Wight. Museums Officer, Mike Bishop, said, “After so many years of waiting, we are finally achieving something that will enable so much of our collection to be properly displayed in a dramatic way instead of languishing in cupboards. Dinosaur Isle, which is both a leisure and education attraction, will use around 1,000 of the best specimens from the present collection at Sandown’s geological museum, plus life-size reconstructions and full-scale models.

OPENING TIMES:
7 Days a week 10am - 6pm
ADMISSION:
Adults - £4.95, Children(3-15)- £2.95, Student/OAP's - £3.90
Family(2 adults, 2 children) - £13.95
CONTACT:
01983 404344

Dinosaur reconstruction DINOSAUR FARM
Is used to house the newly excavated bones, and is now the Island’s second Dinosaur attraction. At the farm visitors can watch volunteers cleaning and preparing recently excavated bones. Volunteers are always ready to identify anything you have found yourself and there’s a gift shop to cater for essential holiday gift buying.

OPENING TIMES:
Thursdays and Sundays 10am - 17pm
Tuesdays and Fridays in July and August
ADMISSION:
Adults - £1.75, Children - 85p, OAP's - £1.25
Discounts for large groups
Free parking and picnic area
CONTACT:
07970 626456