COLCHESTER’S new dinosaur exhibit may be small but it’s perfectly formed and a powerful piece of history.
It was revealed in February that ‘Juliasaurus’ would make its debut public display at Colchester’s Hollytrees Museum, in Castle Park.
The fossil was discovered in the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation in Wyoming, USA, in 2020, and starred on the BBC’s One Show last month.
The name chosen by the private owner of the skeleton means 'Julia’s lizard', with 'saurus' from the Ancient Greek for lizard or reptile.
When you head to the museum you might expect to find a grand room with a sprawling display but that’s not the case.
It’s a fairly compact room with the 6.2m - 20ft - long carnivorous ‘theropod’ dinosaur taking centre stage.
Elsewhere in the room, there are a couple of glass display cases with artefacts by the walls.
But don’t go in expecting a huge exhibition with multiple rooms.
That said, it’s quite incredible and humbling to see a real dinosaur skeleton, especially as it’s believed the dinosaur lived 150 million years ago.
It’s also quite a thrill, as 75 per cent of the skeleton is real fossilised bone and to have a skeleton this complete is very rare.
Although it's not as large as a T-rex or titanosaur, it still makes quite an impact on you.
You can also find out about Jurassic Britain and other smaller fossils are on display such as plesiosaur tooth.
A plesiosaur is a type of extinct marine reptile and the tooth is said to be 160 million years old.
Overall, the display is a must visit for lovers of Jurassic history.
If you visit, you can take photos, but flash photography is not allowed.
The exhibition runs until November 2027.
Adult tickets cost £6 and children's tickets (aged four to 16) cost £4.50. Under-fours can visit for free.
For more details, visit colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/visit/hollytrees-museum.
Share