Dippy The Dinosaur Is Returning To The Natural History Museum Next Year

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 29 months ago

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Dippy The Dinosaur Is Returning To The Natural History Museum Next Year
Photo: Natural History Museum

At a time when many an international pop star has has their tour schedule decimated by Covid, one trooper has managed to keep things moving — Natural History Museum's Dippy the dinosaur, which returns to London next year.

The 26m-long replica of a diplodocus skeleton was taken off display at its South Kensington home in 2017, and departed London in 2018 to go on a tour of eight venues around the country (though not everyone was sad to see it go). The cast has visited Dorchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cardiff and Rochdale, and currently resides in Norwich Cathedral until 30 October 2021.

Dippy in situ at Norwich Cathedral. Image © Bill Smith/Norwich Cathedral

From Norwich, Dippy is coming home to London, in preparation for a new Natural History Museum display opening in Summer 2022. It'll let the public into what Dippy's been up to while off travelling, including how many people have seen it up close, and the economic benefits Dippy's presence is thought to have brought to the towns it visited. (No word yet on whether Dippy found time for much souvenir shopping while on the road, though we've got our fingers crossed for a stick of rock or a fridge magnet.)

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of Museum, said:

Our awe-inspiring goliath, Dippy, has smashed visitor records at every venue visited and brought a range of social and economic benefits to the surrounding communities.

Don't get too excited though — the display is only temporary, running until Christmas 2022, and the museum has yet to announce what'll happen to Dippy after that. But we doubt there's anything for Hope, the blue whale skeleton which replaced Dippy in the museum's Hintze Hall, to worry about — moving a four tonne skeleton is a mammoth task, and not one the museum staff will want to repeat any time soon.

Keep an eye on the Natural History Museum website for further details of Dippy's return.

Last Updated 28 October 2021

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