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And for one day on the 14th it's open free to adults as well as children on a bonus Family Open Day with Inferno breathing scary smoke in Museum Square every hour from 11 to 3.

“News that Inferno is coming has spread like wildfire on Facebook so we're expecting big crowds for the Open Day, here to enjoy an exciting exhibition as well as catch a glimpse of a real live dragon,” said Louise Haselgrove, Museum Education Officer.

“We want visitors of all ages to explore how we as humans feel and have felt about wild animals through the ages, why such powerful myths grew up about beasts like dragons, griffons, unicorns and phoenixes and how real lions and elephants have gripped our imagination.”

 

 

 

 

Everything on exhibition apart from Inferno, who's an exciting extra, comes from the Museum's collection dating back to Victorian times – including many items like the much-loved stuffed albatross that used to dominate the Townshend Room, which are no longer on permanent display, and others like the two-metre-long 'saw' of a sawfish, which are normally tucked away on the balcony gallery.

Look out for beautiful Victorian posters for “travelling menageries” featuring the likes of “great American lion-tamer Cardono” and every wild animal you could imagine, one of which came to Downham for a day, Outwell for a day and Wisbech for two days in the 1800s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Family Open Day there will be lots of activities for children including a session with  Do-Do and Dinosaur, authors of the children's books about the Crystal Palace on sale in the Museum.

 

 

Photos: Top - Inferno the Dragon

Below: Items on display from the Museum's collections.