Dippy is one of the most iconic features of the Natural History Museum, London (NHM) and has thrilled visitors for the last 100 years – but the 26m (85ft) diplodocus cast has spent the last few years on tour around the country, visiting eight venues with ‘Dippy on Tour’.
When he was dismantled and left the museum in 2017, it was the first time he had left the Natural History Museum in his 112-year history. He’s met over two million people along the way, but he’s since returned home to the NHM in South Kensington.
The new installation celebrates all the places Dippy has visited on his travels, as well as highlighting the changing states of the nation’s wildlife and the habitats that need protection. It is free to visit and will run from Friday 27 May until 2 January 2023, at which point Dippy will continue on his travels.
Dippy the dinosaur is a replica of a Diplodocus carnegii skeleton, the original of which is based at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, US. There are several casts of this dinosaur around the world, but Dippy is the first of its kind, a gift to King Edward VII from the industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the Pittsburgh museum and funded the original dinosaur’s excavation. This replica was unveiled at the NHM in 1905.
The NHM is now on the hunt for Dippy’s next temporary home and is seeking requests from venues with enough indoor space to fit the diplodocus cast. Venues are asked to get in touch with reasons as to why Dippy would provide a benefit to their region.
Main image: Dippy in the main hall of the NHM. © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London