FOSSILS, dodos and dinosaurs have been popping up in unexpected locations around Oxford.

For the first time, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History has sent 12 of its top specimens out into venues ranging from Oxford Central Library to St Mary the Virgin Church.

The move has been made because the museum in Parks Road is currently closed while repair work is done to the 150-year-old glass roof.

Scott Billings, from the museum, said: “We sat around and thought what can we do while we are closed.

“If the town can't come to the museum, then the museum will have to come to the town.”

It has not been a simple undertaking.

Suitable items had to be selected based on their size, fragility, and conservation requirements and possible locations contacted, then special cases for the exhibits constructed.

To get the most out of the ‘Goes To Town’ project, the museum has created a trail with all the different venues and specimens.

Each has a top trumps style rating for danger and rarity, and people are challenged to find the specimens with the highest rating in each category.

They can enter a contest via the website goestotown.com to win prizes when the museum reopens in February 2014.

The exhibits will be in place for six months.

A group of Year 9 pupils at Oxford Academy were among the first to complete the trail on Wednesday.

Kian Gregory, 12, from Rose Hill, said his favourite item was a swift in the city's Tourist Information Centre in Broad Street.

He said: “It is pretty weird seeing them there. Usually you don't see things like swifts inwindows and animals in the library.

“It has got me more interested in finding out about them.”

Brandon Campbell, 13, from Blackbird Leys, said he had visited the museum lots of times and always found the experience educational.

He added: “It's interesting and you get to see things you have never seen before.

“It's a good activity which keeps you interested and wanting to do things.”

Chloe Gibbs, 14, from Blackbird Leys, said she liked to learn how rare and dangerous each item was:“It's educational,” she said.