WORLD famous monsters – from history, horror stories and Hollywood – have descended on the region.

Monsters! The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly is the latest large-scale exhibition within the Port of Tyne Exhibition Space in South Shields at The Word: National Centre for the Written Word.

Created to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror story, Frankenstein, it brings visitors up close to a vast display of creatures, from the beasts of early mythology to the modern, digital creations of Pixar and Disney.

Not only can they meet Boris Karloff’s classic movie monster – based on Shelley’s novel – in Dr Frankenstein’s lab, but they can also see what it feels like to be held by King Kong and take a selfie with Sulley from Monsters Inc.

Monsters from Hollywood’s golden age, such as Dracula, Wolf Man and the Mummy, make an appearance and there are monster-themed interactive games, the chance to watch clips from monster movies and readings of The Gruffalo and Shrek for younger visitors.

The free exhibition will run until January 2019 and opening times are Monday to Thursday 9am to 7pm, Friday 9am to 5pm and from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.