WINCHESTER Science Centre and Planetarium is preparing for a prehistoric takeover with Dinosaur Weekend.

Taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 February, Dinosaur Weekend will offer a bumper programme of fun, exploring our prehistoric friends who ruled the world for 135 million years.

Viv, a life-sized two metre long model of a Deinonychus, will be making the Science Centre his stomping ground for one weekend only. A larger and even scarier relative of the famous Velociraptor, Viv the Deinonychus will be educating visitors about how he and his gentler cousins, the sauropods, survived for so long in a very hostile world.

A live dinosaur science show will answer burning questions about the prehistoric beasts. Led by Lesley the 'Dinosaur Lady' and with a little help from Viv, the show will tackle questions such as, 'what was their environment like?', 'what did they eat?', 'who hunted who?' and 'what eventually happened to them?'. With lots of opportunities for audience interaction throughout the show, visitors will also be able to get hands-on with many interesting and unique fossils of plants and animals from the dinosaur era.

Shows will take place in the Space Marquee at 11am, 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm. Run time approximately 45 minutes.

Visitors can also pay a visit to the UK’s largest standalone planetarium, where they will be able to enjoy an immersive planetarium show, Dinosaurs at Dusk. Step into the age of the dinosaurs to discover the origins of flight in this beautiful and accurate film offering a depiction of the prehistoric world.

Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium's brand new zone Invention Studio will be open throughout Dinosaur Weekend. Testing visitors' inquisitive thinking, they can explore and solve a series of exciting challenges related to programming, aerodynamics, engineering and electronics, with the Science Centre's Master Inventors on-hand to help construct truly amazing creations and innovative solutions.

And if that isn’t enough, visitors can get hands-on with over 100 interactive exhibits, including the Science Centre’s Little Big Room and the Science of Sport Zone.

Ben Ward, Chief Executive of Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, said: “Dinosaur Weekend at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium is going to be a lot of prehistoric fun and learning. Our life-size dinosaur replica, Viv, and will give visitors a firsthand view of how big these animals were, while inquisitive minds will be kept busy with our hands-on dinosaur science show. Our planetarium show, Dinosaurs at Dusk will also provide further insight into the fascinating prehistoric world. "

Tickets for the live dinosaur science show are £1 per person, and Dinosaurs at Dusk planetarium show are £3.80 per person, in addition to General Entry.

10% online discount available on General Entry tickets when booked in advance, plus a further 10% discount when purchasing three or more General Entry tickets. Visit www.winchestersciencecentre.org or call 01962 863 791.