Seaton Tramway recommended to take on Seaton Jurassic

In 2016 the tourist offering in Seaton increased with the opening of Seaton Jurassic. Located next to the Seaton Tramway terminus in the town – and taking up a large portion of the car park – it was operated by the Devon Wildlife Trust but following the Covid pandemic the Trust announced in 2021 that they would stop operating the attraction due to the risk of financial investment needed. Since then the building has remained closed but that could all change next year if a proposal for the Seaton Tramway to take over the operation is ratified by the East Devon District Council (EDDC).

EDDC’s cabinet has recently agreed to the freehold disposal of Seaton Jurassic to the tramway, who will work on updating the attraction in readiness for it to reopen in 2024. It will be renamed Jurassic Discovery and include a Dino themed soft play area and will give visitors the chance to see what things were like 100 million years ago – including animatronic exhibits from the Natural History Museum.

Jenny Nunn, CEO of Seaton Tramway, said: “We welcome the decision made by the EDDC cabinet which if agreed by councillors at the council will give visitors and local people the attraction the area deserves bringing in much needed revenue and job creation to the local economy. The Jurassic Discovery will also accommodate a Dino themed soft play area as well as a visitor experience that will give visitors a snapshot of life 100 million years ago picking up the global story of the dinosaurs and why they became extinct with a mix of modern technology and animatronic exhibits from the Natural History Museum. It will also offer the chance to reflect on earth’s timeline and the issues we face today whilst highlighting the Jurassic Coast with a free to view area pointing to fun things to explore at our local Jurassic coastal centres. With Seaton Tramway as the new owners, we will build on our success as a top visitor attraction expanding on our existing offer with community and educational projects alongside our new initiatives for the exciting, new, and fun vision we have for Jurassic Discovery.”

Cllr Paul Arnott, Leader of East Devon District Council, said: “We are delighted that the long and winding road to turn around this flagship centre for Seaton, the Axe Valley, and East Devon has brought us to where we are now. I have had the great privilege of engaging personally with the Tramway organisation to secure this viable outcome. We are very fortunate to have such a brilliant organisation both able and willing to take the building on to a fresh start as the Jurassic Discovery Centre. I wish Jenny and her terrific team all the best for the future and thank them for their commitment in helping achieve this outcome.”