Stori Brymbo & Xplore! Launch New Hands-On Fossil Dig Exhibit in Wrexham

Stori Brymbo and Xplore! Science Discovery Centre are delighted to announce a new collaboration that brings the story of Wrexham’s incredible fossil heritage directly into the heart of the city.

Thanks to funding secured through This is Wrecsam's Key Grant Fund from the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund, a brand-new Fossil Dig Exhibit, inspired by Stori Brymbo’s world-class Fossil Forest excavation, has now arrived at Xplore!, offering visitors a hands-on Earth science experience designed to spark curiosity and encourage learning through play.

The interactive exhibit invites you to dig like real palaeobiologists, uncovering replicas of fossils that date back over 300 million years to the Carboniferous Period — a time when Britain was warm, swampy and home to towering trees, giant insects and the early plants that helped form coal.

Visitors will be able to discover fossil species including Calamites, Lepidodendron “scale trees,” giant dragonfly-like insects, ancient horseshoe crabs and prehistoric ferns, bringing the science and stories of Stori Brymbo’s fossil forest to life in a new, accessible way.

Learning Through Collaboration

The new exhibit marks an exciting partnership between two tourist attractions who are committed to inspiring curiosity and creating opportunities for learning across Wrexham.

By connecting Xplore!’s interactive science environment with the real-world excavation taking place at Stori Brymbo, the collaboration creates a unique journey, from hands-on discovery indoors to a live heritage site where visitors can witness palaeontology in action.

The Fossil Dig Exhibit also forms part of a wider initiative bringing together attractions across Wrexham to create a new visitor trail, designed to encourage exploration, celebrate local heritage and support the growing tourism offer within the region. The trail is set to launch in the coming weeks, highlighting how organisations across the county are working together to create connected, meaningful visitor experiences.

Sam Regan, Chair of This is Wrecsam said;

“This collaboration between Stori Brymbo and Xplore! is a brilliant example of how we can bring Wrexham’s rich heritage to life in ways that truly engage and inspire. We were delighted to provide the funding that will now enable the combining of hands-on science with the incredible story of Brymbo’s fossil forest, giving visitors of all ages the chance to connect with our landscape’s deep past — from towering Carboniferous forests to the creatures that once inhabited them. Partnerships like this are vital in sparking curiosity, supporting learning, and strengthening Wrexham’s offer as a destination where history, science and discovery come together in exciting and accessible ways.”

Both Stori Brymbo and Xplore! share a passion for making science accessible, interactive and rooted in local identity, encouraging visitors not only to learn about the past but to imagine the future.

Visitors to Xplore! can experience the Fossil Dig Exhibit now, while those wanting to see a real excavation site in action will be able to visit Stori Brymbo when it opens later this year.

If you would like to volunteer and get involved with the dig, sign up via this link: https://linktr.ee/storibrymbo