One of the most iconic attractions at the Natural History Museum, the skeleton of a Diplodocus dinosaur affectionately nicknamed ‘Dippy’ will be coming to Dorset as a part of a tour of the UK, with ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ supporting the education programme as a part of the tour.
Dorset will be the first stop on the tour for the Diplodocus, where Dippy will be housed at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester. ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ staff and students will have the unique opportunity to work with the famous dinosaur skeleton.
Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure will be a free exhibition and open to the public between February and May 2018 at the museum, with pre-booking advised due to the dinosaur’s popularity.
Naomi Capell, Outreach Officer at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, said, “We are very excited to be involved with Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure when Dippy comes to Dorset in 2018. This is a tremendous opportunity to engage our students and the local community with Dippy and the Jurassic Coast.
“We’ve been working with the Jurassic Coast education team for many years now delivering and supporting activities and workshops to engage school pupils and their teachers with the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Dippy presents new opportunities for us to get creative about sharing our enthusiasm for palaeontology. One of our first projects will be a Dippy-based animation competition!â€
Dippy measures 21 metres long and more than four metres high and first arrived in London in 1905. The skeleton will also make a temporary home at seven other locations across the country as a part of the tour.
Dr Jon Murden, Director of Dorset County Museum, said, “We are so excited to be welcoming Dippy to the heart of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. As the birthplace of palaeontology, there is nowhere in the UK more appropriate for Dippy to start his national tour than Dorset and we’re thrilled to have been chosen as the first host venue.
“Dippy will help draw new visitors to see our internationally important fossil collections, which I’m sure will inspire the next generation of scientists.â€
More information about the exhibition can be found on the Dorset County Museum website: