Fossils, feathered dinosaurs and a whole host of new Jurassic adventures are roaming the land. VisitEngland picks the most roarsome new dinosaur exhibitions, tours, museums and rides from around the country

Dinosaurs, or at least their fossils, are far from extinct in England. This summer has seen a spate of successful dino-related openings and exhibits and the trend for following in the footsteps of the most colossal creatures ever to walk the earth looks set to continue into 2017 and beyond. Not only for die-hard dinosaur fans looking for their next fossil-finding fix, here VisitEngland spotlights an abundance of equally interesting and entertaining experiences for palaeontology buffs and novices alike.   

The Etches Collection, Kimmeridge, Dorset 
Set to be at the top of any fossil fanatic's bucket-list, The Etches Collection is a brand new multi-million pound, state-of-the-art museum and new visitor attraction opening on 21 October, 2016 in the small but mighty village of Kimmeridge in Dorset. Housing a 2000-strong collection of unique fossils all found along the Jurassic Coast by local collector Steve Etches, The Etches collection is a museum unlike any other. Innovative CGI effects will create an immersive underwater world transporting visitors into an aquarium in the blink of an eye and on a journey through life and death under the seas of Kimmeridge over 150 million years ago. Internationally renowned for the abundance of fossils on its shores, the Jurassic Coast is England's only natural World Heritage Site and visitors will now be able to see new discoveries being worked on by Steve Etches and other palaeontologists in the museum's open working laboratory.
www.theetchescollection.org/home

Cary Arms, 'Rock 'n' Stroll' Weekends
Celebrating 400 million years of geology, Devon's Cary Arms five-star boutique inn set in the heart of the UNESCO English Riviera Geopark, has launched three 'Rock 'n' Stroll' weekends. Led by local geologist and Fellow of the Royal Geological Society, Richard Blagden, the themed weekends running this autumn will encompass cliff-top walks and cave exploration, taking in the dramatic coastline and geological wonders hidden in the Geopark coves. Weekend highlights include a stunning two hour coastal walk to prehistoric cave, Kents Cavern, discovery of 400-million-year-old limestone layers, seeing raised Ice Age beaches and gold infused rock, as well as a walk to Oddicombe Beach to see the many different types of rock and fossils. The Rock 'n' Stroll weekends start from £335 per person including two nights' in luxury sea facing accommodation, pre-dinner drinks and canapés, a three course dinner both nights and hearty power breakfast the following mornings, entry to Kents Cavern with lunch and the guided walks. The weekends will run 28th-30th October, 11th-13th November and 18th-20th November, 2016.
www.caryarms.co.uk

Gigantoraptor at Woolaton Hall, Nottingham
In a world-exclusive exhibition, a unique dinosaur display is coming to Woolaton Hall in Nottingham next summer, opening on 1 July – 30 October 2017. On loan from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, it will feature the best preserved dinosaur fossils from anywhere in the world, never before seen outside of Asia. Most of these fossils are new to science, only discovered and named in the last 20 years, and some as recently as 2015. One of the highlights of the exhibition will be the Gigantoraptor, which at 4 metres high and 8 metres long is the largest feathered dinosaur ever found.  
http://www.experiencenottinghamshire.com/discover/wollaton-hall-and-park-p354961 
www.dinosaursofchina.co.uk

The Natural History Museum's Diplodocus on Tour
The Natural History Museum's celebrated Diplodocus, affectionately known as “Dippy”, will be leaving its home of 111 years for a UK tour, starting in early 2018. The iconic Diplodocus skeleton cast, which has become renowned as the first sight to greet visitors as they pass through the museum's main entrance on Cromwell Road and has been an inspiration to a generation of scientists, will go on display at indoor venues throughout the country along with a programme of events and educational activities.
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/national-impact/diplodocus-on-tour.html

Dinosaur theme park world, Lost Kingdom, at Paultons Park, The New Forest
Transporting families back millions of years to when dinosaurs roamed the world, Paultons Park's new £9m attraction Lost Kingdom opened its gates in May. Set within four acres of Jurassic landscape, the attraction is inspired by the era of fierce velociraptors, flying pterodactyls, giant triceratops and the mighty tyrannosaurus rex.
Ideal for adventurous families, the new theme park land has launched a whole host of dinosaur attractions, including two world-class family rollercoasters; Flight of the Pterosaur and Velociraptor, as well as Jurassic-themed family rides Boulder-Dash, Temple Heights and Dino-Chase, a dinosaur adventure play park named Little Explorers, and The Dinosaur Tour Co – a 4x4 Jurassic Jeep expedition featuring dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Alive, Dinosaur Encounter is a unique attraction where families come face to face with the Park's very own, but fortunately quite friendly, captive T-Rex, while Lost Kingdom allows families to be thrown back millions of years to see, hear and feel a prehistoric world. 
 www.paultonspark.co.uk

Dinosaur installation at The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, Milnthorpe, Cumbria
A life size model of a tyrannosaurus rex's skull has recently 'hatched' at popular family attraction, The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, dubbed 'a little zoo with lots to do'. Home to a host of critters and creatures including two snow leopards, the zoo already takes families on a fun journey of evolution from fossils and small insects through to birds and mammals. Thanks to its new dinosaur installation visitors will now also be able to delve into the relatively unknown world of dinosaurs.
www.wildlifeoasis.co.uk/

Jurassic Journey, Cornwall
Junior explorers can jump aboard the newly-opened Dino-Express ride at Flambards in Cornwall unleash their inner dinosaur hunter and spot life-size dinosaurs. The Stegosaurus, a five-metre tall Brachiosaurus, awesome T-Rex and giant Triceratops are all waiting to be discovered, while a visit to the Dino-Nursey & Hatchery offers the chance to spot giant dinosaur eggs and the latest arrivals including a baby Velociraptor. Complete dinosaur skeletons are also on view with the opportunity to join the Dino-Dig and unearth a series of fossilised remains in a special prehistoric boneyard.
www.flambards.co.uk/rides/detail/jurassic-journey 

Ends

For further press information and images please contact:
Emma de Vadder/ Evelina Andrews/ Louise Ferrall / Rebecca Lowe
VisitEngland Press Office
Tel: 020 7578 1437 / 020 7578 1447
Email: emma.devadder@visitengland.org/ Evelina.Andrews@visitengland.org / Louise.Ferrall@visitengland.org/ Rebecca.Lowe@visitengland.org 

Notes to Editors:
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