Temporary exhibitions and events
October Half Term Fun at Island Museums
Looking for family fun this Half Term?
Enjoy hands-on history and creative activities at two Isle of Wight museums – all for just £1 per person!
Thanks to Isle of Wight Council’s Heritage Service for organising these special events.
While Dinosaur Isle is temporarily closed for essential maintenance, dinosaur fans won’t miss out! The museum is getting out and about with a special ‘Dinosaur Isle on the Road’ event at the Museum of Island History in Newport.
Dinosaur Isle on the Road
Dinosaur Isle is closed for maintenance, but the dinosaurs are coming to you!
Location: Museum of Island History, Newport
Date: Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 October 2025
Time: 10am to 2pm
No booking is required and entry to each museum (including all activities) is just £1 per person
As a visitor you can discover the fascinating world of dinosaurs that once roamed the Island
- Learn about the unique dinosaurs that have been discovered on the Island
- Handle real local fossils
- Get creative by crafting by making your own dinosaur diorama
- Visit our pop-up dinosaur gift shop, offering themed gifts and souvenirs
Clay Days at Newport Roman Villa
Inspired by Roman household shrines and offerings to the gods, these sessions invite visitors to explore the villa ruins and decide whether a feature in the dining room is a fireplace, or a shrine as recently suggested by Roman experts!
Date: Wednesday 22 and Wednesday 29 October 2025
Time: 10am to 2pm
No booking is required and entry to each museum (including all activities) is just £1 per person
Explore Roman life and get creative with clay!
- Walk through the Roman villa ruins
- Children and adults alike can follow a Roman gods and goddesses picture trail
- Decide: is it a fireplace or a shrine?
- Sculpt your own shrine or offering from clay
Dino Isle Pop up shop
While Dinosaur Isle is closed for essential maintenance there will be a special ‘pop up’ dino shop at the Museum of Island History in Newport.
Date: Tuesday and Thursday during October and November 2025
Time: 10am to 1pm
Special event - Dinosaur Isle will be part of the Newport Day of Christmas
Date: Saturday 15 December 2025
Time: 10am to 4pm
Location: Museum of Island History
Join us for a special festive event at the museum!
- Stock up on Dinosaur gifts for Christmas
- Great stocking fillers available for all those Dinosaur fans
- Chat with a dinosaur expert
- Handle real fossils
- Get your own fossil finds identified by our expert
Heritage events throughout the year
The Heritage service holds many community days at its sites. These include
- free and reduced entry days
- activities, talks and tours
- heritage open days
- the Festival of Archaeology
- the Family Learning Festival
Heritage service staff may also be able to assist with your event with a museum themed display, talk or activity.
Contact us or follow us on our social media channels.
Contact our Exhibitions and Museums Officer
- call 01983 823433
- email museums@iow.gov.uk
Museum loans and displays
Cowes Maritime Museum has an exhibition area that allows a changing display of images from the maritime collection.
The Museum of Island History has an exhibition about the history of Newport and its shops.
Library displays
The libraries at Ventnor, Ryde and Newport (Lord Louis Library) have a display screen for slideshows and a small case for changing displays. These are changed regularly and are available for community lead or partnership exhibitions.
Loan of museum material
The Heritage service loans many artefacts to other organisations to allow these items to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. Whether museum material can be loaned depends on the needs of each object. Museum staff can arrange a visit to discuss possible loans and the requirements for the items concerned, such as security and environmental conditions.
If we cannot loan you the original artefact, we may be able to provide photographs, images or replicas to supplement your display.
What does the Heritage service do?
The Heritage service cares for a large collection of artefacts and images relating to the history of the Isle of Wight.
The collection is displayed within our three museums and every opportunity is taken to make them available more widely through temporary exhibitions and loans to other organisations.