Dippy the Dinosaur has been unveiled in its new Coventry residence.
The city’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum will be home to the 26-metre-long installation of the Diplodocus cast for the next three years.
The first visitors were able to see the model on Monday, as the free-to-visit Dippy In Coventry: The Nation’s Famous Dinosaur exhibition officially opened.
The installation of the model, which is made up of 292 bones, was completed by a local 10-year-old, Daisy-Marie, who put the dinosaur’s final toe bone in place.
Daisy-Marie, who is a pupil at Templars Primary School in Coventry, said: “Dippy is absolutely huge and it was amazing to be able to put the final bone in place.
“It is something I will never forget.
“It is great to have Dippy in Coventry and I am sure it is going to be really popular.”
Dippy was first put on display in the Natural History Museum in London in 1905.
The Diplodocus has since become much-loved by members of the British public, and last year concluded a four-year tour throughout the UK.
The tour saw Dippy spend time in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dorchester, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich and Rochdale.
As a result of the tour, the cities reportedly saw the “Dippy effect” with the Natural History Museum saying local economies were considerably boosted by the influx of visitors.
Following the tour, which is reported to have drawn in two million visitors, the model returned to the Natural History Museum for the Dippy Returns: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur where it received a further one million visitors.
Director of the Natural History Museum, Dr Doug Gurr, said: “One of our top priorities at the Natural History Museum is making sure the treasures of our collection are able to be enjoyed by as many people as possible whilst benefitting and inspiring communities across the UK.
“After such a successful tour of the UK we were thrilled to have recently had Dippy back in London for Dippy Returns: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur. The success of this installation only further proved our dinosaur’s ability to draw in and enthuse a crowd about the natural world.
“This is why we decided that Dippy would hit the road once more and go on a long-term loan within the UK to benefit a new region and reach a whole new audience. We couldn’t be happier that the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum will be the host of that loan for the next three years and we can’t wait to see the Dippy effect in action again.”
Dippy’s arrival at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum coincides with February half term for schools across the UK. The museum has extended its opening hours during the holiday period and will be staying open until 6pm on February 21, 22, 24 and 25, and until 9pm on February 23.
Tickets to see Dippy at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum are free and available online.
