Image: Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry is opening ‘Unearth the Palaeoverse: Dig Into the Dawn of Time’, an immersive summer exhibition that runs from 23 May to 31 August 2026. Described by the venue as a “Jurassic exhibition lasting throughout the summer,” the display invites visitors into a prehistoric landscape of giant sea reptiles, roaming dinosaurs and ancient forests.
The exhibition is presented as a drop-in experience included with admission, and the Herbert says visitors pass through a cave entrance into the Palaeoverse before beginning the journey. The installation combines drawn and animated elements with interactive activities: visitors can draw a dinosaur and watch it animate across the wall, strike a prehistoric pose in a dressing-up zone, uncover clues, take on interactive challenges and build their own collection of discoveries.
A cinematic sequence through an ancient forest landscape is also part of the experience, extending the exhibition beyond static display into a more theatrical, participatory format. The Herbert’s website positions the show as part of its wider summer programme of family-friendly and educational activities, with other concurrent offerings in natural history, early years and creative workshops across the season.
The exhibition sits within a museum context that already places strong emphasis on natural history, archaeology and family learning. The Herbert’s website lists collections and galleries spanning prehistory, natural history, archaeology and social history, and the summer programme includes ‘Curious Creatures, Stones and Bones’, ‘Beneath the Waves’ and ‘Nature’s Wonders’, all centred on discovery and hands-on engagement. ‘Unearth the Palaeoverse’ extends that approach into a dinosaur-focused installation aimed at general visitors.
The page also notes a link to ‘Dippy in Coventry’, identified on the Herbert site as “the nation’s favourite dinosaur,” which is on display at the museum. The exhibition text does not state that the two projects are formally connected, but it places the Palaeoverse experience in the same visitor setting as the dinosaur display.
According to the listing, ‘Unearth the Palaeoverse: Dig Into the Dawn of Time’ is available during opening hours and included with admission at Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Jordan Well, Coventry CV1 5QP. The exhibition is open from 23 May through 31 August 2026, with the Herbert describing it as an immersive summer event that runs throughout the school holiday period.
