A new Christmas shopping experience is set to be launched at a Shrewsbury museum this weekend based on Charles Darwin’s epic journey on board HMS Beagle.

Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery has come up the idea, linked to the 200th anniversary of the birth of the town’s most famous son.

Inspired by the treasures which the scientist brought back to England at the end of his extraordinary five-year voyage, the museum at Rowley’s House has created the “Cargo of Curiosities” — a Christmas shopping opportunity that will feature products from the route of HMS Beagle and include local suppliers, Shropshire artists and fairly-traded goods.

When the cargo arrives on Saturday, packing crates will reveal ethically-sourced shells and fossils, and soft toy armadillos, dodos, kiwis, duckbilled platypuses and Galapagos tortoises.

The shop – which will be run until February 13 next year – will offer books, educational toys, local craft products, pocket money gifts and stocking fillers. Opening hours will be 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

“We want people to come and visit the museum to see Shrewsbury’s unique historic collection founded almost 175 years ago,” said Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council portfolio holder for culture and leisure.