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The Great Britain Guide

Museums · South East England

Dinosaur Isle

ModernPaid admission♿ Wheelchair accessible

Dinosaur Isle — dinosaur museum on the Isle of Wight.

Dinosaur Isle, museums in South East England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Best time of year
Year-round
Nearest railway station
Sandown · 1.4 km
  • Paid entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

Dinosaur Isle is a museum in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 2001. Address: PO36 8QA. Wikidata describes it as: "dinosaur museum on the Isle of Wight". Coordinates: 50.6592°, -1.1428°.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Isle Of Wight

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Dinosaur Isle is a purpose-built dinosaur museum located in Sandown on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The museum was designed by Isle of Wight architect Rainey Petrie Johns in the shape of a giant pterosaur. It claims to be the first custom-built dinosaur museum in Europe.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Throughout the 19th century, many collectors such as the Reverend William Fox (1813-1881) excavated the types of new dinosaur genera, including Aristosuchus, Hypsilophodon foxii, and Polacanthus. Most of the discoveries were then transferred to the mainland for study and exhibition, which after some time prompted the Isle of Wight Council to begin its own collection. In 1923, the Isle of Wight's first geological museum opened in Sandown, under the name of the "Museum of Isle of Wight Geology". The £2.7 million cost of Dinosaur Isle, the new museum, was provided by Isle of Wight Council and the National Lottery Millennium Commission. Dinosaur Isle opened to visitors on 10 August 2001. It…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
50.6592, -1.1428
Parish
Sandown
Postcode
PO36 8QA
Parliamentary constituency
Isle of Wight East
Phone
+44 1983 404344
Established
2001
Nearest railway station
Sandown1.4 km
Opening
Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00

Sources

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Nearby

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Dinosaur Isle?
Dinosaur Isle is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode PO36 8QA), in the parish of Sandown.
When was Dinosaur Isle built?
Built or established in 2001.
Is Dinosaur Isle a protected site?
Yes — Dinosaur Isle is part of the Isle Of Wight National Landscape (AONB).
How do I get to Dinosaur Isle?
The nearest railway station is Sandown, about 1.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PO36 8QA.
How busy is Dinosaur Isle?
Dinosaur Isle draws around 60,000 visitors a year.