Dippy, a cast of a Diplodocus skeleton, first arrived in London in 1905. The 292-bone replica skeleton has proved a huge hit ever since inspiring generations of visitors to connect with nature. After 110 years on display at the Museum in London, Dippy embarked on an eight-city tour, which saw it take in every country in the UK, spending time in Dorchester, Birmingham, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Cardiff, Rochdale, and Norwich. Every venue and region that played host to the well-travelled Diplodocus cast reported what has come to be known as the ‘Dippy effect’, with a record-breaking two million visitors recorded and an economic benefit of just under £36m across the eight regions.
More recently Dippy returned to the Museum for our temporary installation Dippy Returns: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur, which was visited by over one million people. It is hoped that the same benefits will be seen in Coventry, with the dino-star continuing to engage people of all ages with nature and inspiring them to protect it.
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