A world-exclusive, never before seen before dinosaur exhibition opens with a roar in Nottingham this weekend.
Dinosaurs of China, taking place at Wollaton Hall and Nottingham University’s Nottingham Lakeside Arts from 1st July to 29th October, features some of the largest dinosaur skeletons in existence, from ground shakers to feathered flyers.
The exhibition is set to amaze families, children and dinosaur enthusiasts with a vast selection of fossils and skeletons that have never been seen outside of Asia.
Unmissable highlights include the show-stopping Mamenchisaurus – a dinosaur the same height as three double decker buses and the amazing Gigantoraptor, the largest feathered dinosaur in the world. Visitors will also be taken on an evolutional journey.
Telling the story of how dinosaurs evolved into birds, the event spans two family-friendly sites with Wollaton Hall hosting the main exhibition over the summer holidays. The second exhibition at Nottingham University’s public arts centre, Nottingham Lakeside Arts features the Alxasaurus and the Dilophosaurus which together with the university’s own Life Science collection will explore how dinosaurs may have looked.
Councillor David Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council said: “The City Council is really proud to be involved in bringing such a fantastic exhibition to Nottingham. Dinosaurs of China represents a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience so we’re expecting thousands of visitors from Nottingham, the rest of the UK and beyond.”
Dr Adam Smith, Curator at the Nottingham Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall has been working together with Dr Wang Qi from the University of Nottingham to bring the exhibition across from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and the Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Inner Mongolia, to Wollaton Hall and Lakeside Arts in Nottingham.
Adam said: “The dinosaur skeletons and fossils have departed Asia, many for the first time, to travel 5000 miles across the sea to the UK.
“The exhibition is a one-time opportunity to see some of the world’s best preserved dinosaur discoveries, and the tallest dinosaur skeleton ever seen in the UK.
“Visitors will be taken on a truly unique journey discovering the evolution of the dinosaurs, from bones of ground shakers, to feathered flyers. Many of the fossils on display have only been discovered in the past 20 years and one was named just two years ago.”
Professor Sir David Greenaway, Vice Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said, “The University of Nottingham has established strong and diverse partnerships in China over the 13 years since we opened our Ningbo campus. It is as a result of these relationships that we are now able to bring this unique, world-exclusive exhibition to the city, and we are delighted to be partnering with Nottingham City Council on this project.
Tickets for the Wollaton Hall exhibition are on sale now. Prices are £5 for a child, £7 for an adult and £20 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) with an additional 10% booking fee for tickets booked online. Children under five go free and the event welcomes school parties at a reduced price. Entry to the Nottingham Lakeside exhibition is free of charge.
For more information, please visit www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk