TAKING a step back in time, thousands will walk through the doors of Newcastle Museum for some prehistoric, school holiday fun.
The museum's latest exhibition Dinosaurs: Surviving Extinction is the main attraction for kids like five-year-old George Porter, who is fascinated by the giant creatures.
His dad said living over at Carrington, they often come to the museum to explore its attractions and were out enjoying a sunny Tuesday on October 1.
The display features a nine-metre skeleton of an apex carnivore, bones you can touch, dig pits filled with hidden dino clues, baby dinosaurs and replica dinosaur nests with more than 100 items on show.
Mum-of-two Megan Nesarai was visiting the museum with her son Micah, five, and four-month-old daughter Olive.
"It's really nice. My son loves dinosaurs and it's great we don't have to travel to Sydney to do something like this," she said.
"We're just out of the house and will enjoy a walk along the harbour after we're finished looking at the dinosaurs."
City of Newcastle acting director of museum, archive, libraries and learning Mala Scorce said the museum has a full school holiday program to accompany the new exhibition including Planet Earth science shows with museum scientist Catherine.
"We're committed to bringing engaging, high quality touring exhibitions to the Hunter region and this will be a fantastic day out for kids, families and visitors of any age," she said.
"An encounter with a dinosaur in a museum is a treasured memory for many of us and it's fantastic those memories are being made right here in Newcastle."
The exhibition will run until March 2 and the museum will host an Excellent Engineers marble run and maze-building activity on October 2 and 11 and marbling and marble painting workshops on October 4 and 11.
More school holiday fun
As part of the New Annual Festival there will be a number of kid-friendly events throughout the city.
From October 4-6 there will be a thrilling nine-metre-tall swing and on October 5 there will be a global gathering to celebrate Newcastle's rich cultural diversity with food, art, and performances.
Part game, part performance, Wondercity is a unique audio-led interactive adventure will roam through a series of activated sites across the CBD, featuring live performances, soundscapes, film, and installation art. Presented by Tantrum Youth arts running from October 4-6.
Newcastle and Wallsend libraries will also be hosting craft sessions, gaming events and board games. For more information visit the library website.
