From August 2, two floors of The Wilson art gallery and museum in Cheltenham will be taken over by huge dinosaurs from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods.

Great British Life: The Coelophysis, one of the dinosaurs on display at The Wilson / Photo: Colin ThompsonThe Coelophysis, one of the dinosaurs on display at The Wilson / Photo: Colin Thompson (Image: Archant)

The ‘Meet Rex and Other Dinosaurs’ exhibition will run until September 28 and is a family-friendly show perfect for budding palaeontologists – and their parents!

Visitors will be encouraged to learn about the world as it was millions of years ago. As the Earth developed and changed, so did the dinosaurs roaming the land, and this exciting exhibition offers a fun, interactive and educational insight into how these fascinating creatures lived.

Full size models and animatronics will allow people to marvel at the sheer size of dinosaurs, while interactive puzzles and games will help younger visitors reinforce their learning. Highlights from The Wilson’s own fossil collection will complement the exhibition and an app will be available to download with tickets from July 18 – offering further learning content and games. Free family activities including trails and craft workshops will be running throughout August to allow people to continue their involvement with Meet Rex and Other Dinosaurs across the summer holidays.

As a treat, Heart Angels from Heart FM will be welcoming visitors and offering free face painting from 11am – 2pm during the opening weekend of August, and throughout the exhibition children will have the opportunity to ‘Meet Rex’ in a unique area where they can get up close to a T. rex head (and even take a selfie).

Great British Life: Children experiencing the interactive learning elements (puzzles, games and quizzes) of the exhibitionChildren experiencing the interactive learning elements (puzzles, games and quizzes) of the exhibition (Image: Archant)

Collections & Engagement Manager at The Wilson, Stevie Edge-McKee, said: “We can’t wait to welcome all the dinosaurs to The Wilson! The exhibition is a real blockbuster which we hope will attract families into The Wilson and to the town. And, we’ve planned some really exciting events and activities around the exhibition, so there should be something for everyone to enjoy throughout the summer.”

For more information, contact Alana Hopkins, Marketing and Information Officer: Alana.hopkins@cheltenham.gov.uk

For more about The Wilson, visit www.thewilson.org, and for tourist information, visit www.visitcheltenham.com