Young explorers can get up close with newly discovered 125-million-year-old dinosaur remains if they visit Alton Towers Resort this July - and can even see a replica skull of the beast which has been named ‘Andy’ after popular CBeebies entertainer, Andy Day.
Fossil hunters on the Isle of Wight unearthed the remains of a massive Spinosaur in 2018 before publishing their studies earlier this year. Pieces of bone belonging to the two-legged dinosaur suggest the land-based hunter measured over 10 metres from snout to tail and may be the largest predatory dinosaur ever found in Europe.
Now the remains and the replica skull, which were put on display at the Dinosaur Isle Museum on the Isle of Wight, are being transported from the south coast up to CBeebies Land in Alton Towers Resort, for a special three-day display from Friday 15th July until Sunday 17th July.
As well as the incredible 125-million-year-old fossils, visitors to the resort will also be able to enjoy more fantastical delights as part of Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig. Little ones can immerse themselves in prehistoric sights and sounds as they unearth fossils and analyse them in the fossilator, help build a new exhibit with the outpost curator and learn all about their discoveries in the live interactive show - plus be joined by Andy himself via video link from his gizmo!
Alex Peaker, Collections Officer (Geology), Dinosaur Isle Museum, said: “The Spinosaurids include the largest predatory dinosaurs to have ever lived, some of which were larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Our Spinosaur remains are part of the largest carnivorous dinosaur found in Europe.
W
e were delighted to call it Andy after CBeebies TV presenter Andy Day because he has done so much to engage children and excite them about prehistoric monsters over the years. With the addition of the new Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig attraction, we felt CBeebies Land is the perfect place for it to make a debut appearance on the UK mainland.”
Larry Roles, Marketing Director for Alton Towers Resort added: “We’re excited to host this immersive, educational event alongside our latest CBeebies Land attractions, Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig, Hey Duggee’s Big Adventure Badge and JoJo & Gran Gran At Home, as we start to welcome the summer holidays. This was once a massive dinosaur, and it’s now a massive coup for CBeebies Land to have the remains at our Theme Park”.
The fascinating new fossils will be appearing alongside a collection of interactive dinosaur activities and attractions, hosted by expert geologists from Dinosaur Isle Museum[1], Britain’s first purpose-built dinosaur attraction.
Little adventurers will be able to handle a range of the ancient prehistoric remains and learn more about what it’s like to be a real-life dinosaur discoverer from the expert geologists themselves.
Alton Towers Resort is gearing up for the ultimate escape this summer following the arrival of three new attractions in the UK’s only CBeebies Land, Hey Duggee’s Big Adventure Badge, Andy’s Adventures Dinosaur Dig, and JoJo & Gran Gran At Home, plus a new live show with Bing and Flop in Big Fun Showtime.
General tickets for the Theme Park start at £36pp and the Spinosaur display is included in the price of general admission.