Visitors to The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven are invited to step back in time this summer as a major national touring exhibition, Carboniferous Monsters, arrives from 18 July to 11 October.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey to the Carboniferous period, around 300 million years ago and long before the age of dinosaurs, when tropical forests and swamps were home to some of the most unusual and formidable creatures to have ever lived.
Featuring a range of remarkable displays, visitors will come face-to-face with giant prehistoric animals, including scorpions the size of dogs, millipedes as long as crocodiles and enormous predatory dragonflies with wingspans comparable to modern day seagulls. The exhibition also introduces the distant ancestors of dinosaurs, including some of the earliest reptiles.
Carboniferous Monsters brings together an impressive collection of 350 million year old original fossils, reconstructed creatures and skeleton casts from museums around the world. Many of these exhibits have never before been displayed in the UK, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore this ancient period in detail.
Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said: “This is a brilliant addition to The Beacon’s exhibition programme and a great opportunity for residents and visitors to experience something truly different.”
Heather Holmes, Customer and Visitor Experience Manager at The Beacon Museum, added:
“Think giant insects, ancient swamps and creatures that pre-date the dinosaurs. Carboniferous Monsters brings an extraordinary lost world back to life and highlights The Beacon Museums commitment to bringing high quality, nationally touring exhibitions to West Cumbria.”
Suitable for visitors of all ages, the exhibition offers an engaging and accessible way to discover a fascinating chapter of Earth’s history, combining science, learning and interactive experience in a family-friendly setting.