Published on 15th July 2014

Logo for Meet Rex exhibition at the Wilson

From 2 August 2014, two floors of The Wilson, Cheltenham’s art gallery and museum, will be taken over by huge dinosaurs from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods.

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

Visitors will be encouraged to explore across time 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 18 July – 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 special treat, Heart Angels from Heart FM will be welcoming visitors and offering free face painting from 11am – 2pm during the opening weekend of 2 and 3 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!

Collections & Engagement Manager at The Wilson, Stevie Edge-McKee says: “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 please contact Alana Hopkins, marketing and information officer at [email protected]



ENDS



Notes to editor


Meet Rex and Other Dinosaurs will run from 2 August – 28 September 2014. Tickets are available over the counter at Cheltenham Tourist Information Centre, or online at www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk. Ticket prices are: Adult £6, Child £5, Family £18. Lunch packages will be available from The Wilson Café. More information about ticket pricing, please visit the website. The app is available from 18 July and has been designed by appetyte.co.uk. 

The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum was re-opened to the public on the 5th October 2013, after a major new build costing in the region of £6 million. Designed by architects Berman Guedes Stretton, the new building offers something for everybody, whether they are local to the area, or coming to Cheltenham for the first time. The Wilson houses an extensive fine art collection, a re-interpreted Arts and Crafts gallery (showing the world-renowned designated collection), and includes two superb temporary exhibition galleries – for showing national and international touring shows, special highlights from the collections and fun shows for families.

The Wilson is also the new home for the town’s tourism services - with the re-location of Cheltenham’s Tourist Information Centre to the Art Gallery & Museum.  The Wilson operates as part of Cheltenham Borough Council.

For more details, visit www.thewilson.org and for tourist information, visit www.visitcheltenham.com