‘Stanta Claws’ is coming to town

29 Nov 2023

Manchester Museum’s beloved Tyrannosaurus rex, Stan, is getting into the festive spirit by pulling on his Santa hat for a charity gift appeal

Stan’s Secret Santa will run from Tuesday, 5 December until Friday, 8 December and Stan will wear the giant hat, created by artist Lucy Burscough, to welcome donations for people experiencing homelessness and poverty across Manchester.

Visitors will be encouraged to pay the famous T. rex a visit in the Museum’s Fossils Gallery throughout the four days, to drop gifts and take a selfie with ‘Stanta Claws’.

Manchester Museum is appealing for donations of new, unwrapped Christmas gifts and new, seasonal food items, including festive cakes, chocolate selection boxes and chocolate Santas, as well as wrapping paper and Christmas cards.

All gifts will be gathered by Stanta’s elves at the end of the appeal and passed to Barnabus and Mustard Tree, who will distribute them in time for Christmas. But if you're unable to come along and make a donation in person you can support these wonderful Manchester charities by donating via the Barnabus website or the Mustard Tree website and marking donations 'Stan's Secret Santa'.

Coming up at the Museum

Festive Fun at the Museum, Wednesday, 13 December, 4pm-8pm

From market stalls and a winter concert, the Museum will have everything you need to immerse yourself in the spirit of the season.

There will also be family activities and workshops running throughout the evening, so come along in your best festive fancy dress (Christmas jumpers also permitted).

Up on the Top Floor, students from Pinc College, which provides creative study programme pathways for neurodivergent young people, will be hosting a Christmas market, giving you the chance to find out about their creative practice and stock up on gifts.

In our grotto with a twist, Sour Santa will be waiting to see if you can put a smile on his face. The bar will be open in the Main Hall, where we’ll be playing festive videos on the big screen and encouraging folks to hit the dance floor. There will also be games to try your hand at, including reindeer racing.