Shropshire Star

London Natural History Museum icon set to visit the Midlands and Shropshire

Dippy the Diplodocus is to come to the region as part of a national tour.

Published

The giant 70 foot plaster cast of the dinosaur skeleton has spent many years at the Natural History Museum.

It is to start the tour at Dorset County Museum, which has a gallery dedicated to Britain's fossil-rich Jurassic Coast.

The tour, starting in February 2018, will also take in Birmingham Museum, the National Assembly of Wales as well as Ulster Museum; Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow; the Great North Museum, Newcastle, Number One Riverside, Rochdale, and Norwich Cathedral.

Museum director Sir Michael Dixon said: "We wanted Dippy to visit unusual locations so he can draw in people that may not traditionally visit a museum. We have ensured that Dippy will be free to view at all tour venues."

The replica has been at the museum since 1979 but it will be replaced a blue whale skeleton.

Dippy's last day on show will be January 4.

Conservators will take a year preparing Dippy for the tour.

He will spend six months at each of the venues.

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