5 Reasons to visit Dinosaurs of China

The Dinosaurs of China exhibition has now officially opened at Wollaton Hall (and Lakeside Arts) with over 7,000 people said to have visited over the opening weekend alone. This exciting exhibition runs right through until the 29 October and is sure to be THE must do thing of the summer.

There are plenty of reasons why you should check out the exhibition before it closes, but here are five that we’ve chosen.

1 – It’s a WORLD EXCLUSIVE

That’s right this exhibition is a world-exclusive and can only be seen in Nottingham. Many of the 26 exhibits on display have never been out of Asia, and some have never been on display there so if you want a chance to check out some of the most stunning finds in Chinese paleontology then this exhibition is a must visit.

2 – The Mamenchisaurus is HUGE

Ok, you may not have heard of the Mamenchisaurus before, but this cousin of the Diplodocus was massive. A staggering 13 metres in length this is the largest dinosaur skeleton ever mounted in the UK and will take your breath away the moment you enter the Great Hall. Interesting fact, though this dinosaur mainly walked around on four legs the skeleton was so big that the only way to fit it into the exhibition was to have it mounted on it’s hind legs.

3 – Dinosaurs evolved into birds – seriously!

You may well have heard this story, that many dinosaurs evolved into birds rather than lizards or reptiles, hell you may have even scoffed at the idea – well believe me once you’ve been to the Dinosaurs of China exhibition you’ll scoff no more. The exhibition tells the fascinating story of how dinosaurs went from ground shakers to feathered flyers with several fossils showing evidence of feathers – and some stunning artist illustrations on how these creatures may have looked. Pride of place in this tale is the type specimen of the Microraptor, this is the initial fossil discovery on which this dinosaur was described and is one of the key links between dinosaurs and birds.

4 – There are loads of great things for the kids

Let’s be honest most kids love dinosaurs at some time or another – and some of us never grow out of it – and your little ones are going to be thrilled by the skeletons and fossils on display. But on top of that there are some fantastic kids activities to further encourage their dinosaur love. Among them is an interactive Dino Explorer Zone, chances to be a dino hunter and explorer, stories from Lakeside Art’s very own Diana Saurus and much more. Plus Hunter, the animatronic raptor will also be out and about throughout the exhibition.

5 – IT’S FRICKIN DINOSAURS DAMMIT

I mean, come on, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. A chance to go and see some dinosaur skeletons and fossils. This is, most likely, a once in a lifetime chance to see some of the most remarkable specimens on the planet and believe me you will be blown away at the site of the Gigantoraptor skeleton upstairs at Wollaton Hall, or the Dilophosaurus (you know the frilly necked one in Jurassic Park) at Lakeside Arts.

So there you have it, just five of the many reasons to check out this stunning exhibition that is running now at Wollaton Hall and Lakeside Arts.

For more information be sure to check out our Dinosaurs of China series of shows on NG Digital – kicking off with a special preview show featuring interviews with exhibition curator Dr Adam Smith and TV broadcaster, naturalist and exhibition supporter Chris Packham.

Dinosaurs of China runs until 29 October, tickets are £7 for adults, £5 for children and £22 for a family (2 adults + 2 children). Under 5’s go free and discounts are available for school books. All tickets are subject to booking fee – for more information visit the Dinosaurs of China ticket website

Article and photos by Darren Patterson