Dippy the nation’s favourite dinosaur welcomes first visitors in Coventry

The iconic 292-bone model’s debut was greeted by crowds of excited visitors on the opening day of its three-year residency at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum as.

Coventry Young Ambassador and local dinosaur fan Daisy-Marie Taylor was selected to put in place the final toe bone, as the free to visit Dippy in Coventry: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur exhibition was officially opened.

Daisy-Marie, 10, who attends Templars Primary School in Coventry said, ‘Dippy is absolutely huge and it was amazing to be able to put the final bone in place.

‘It is something I will never forget.  

‘It is great to have Dippy in Coventry and I am sure it is going to be really popular.’

Visitors to the exhibition can learn more about Dippy, the Jurassic period and how nature and the world we inhabit has changed over time, with dinosaur-themed talks and activities for all the family to enjoy.

Dippy’s new Coventry residency in the Herbert’s Covered Court follows a 110-year tenure at the London’s Natural History Museum and more recently an eight-venue tour across the UK, where Dippy spent time in Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dorchester, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich and Rochdale.

The tour reportedly saw a “Dippy effect” at each venue and region, with a record-breaking two million visitors and just under £36m of economic benefit across all eight locations.

The model’s most recent return to the Natural History Museum for the Dippy Returns: The Nation's Favourite Dinosaur installation attracted over one million people and it is hoped a similar demand will be seen in Coventry.

Dr Doug Gurr, Natural History Museum Director said, ‘ One of our top priorities at the Natural History Museum is making sure the treasures of our collection are able to be enjoyed by as many people as possible whilst benefitting and inspiring communities across the UK.

‘After such a successful tour of the UK we were thrilled to have recently had Dippy back in London for, Dippy Returns: The Nation's Favourite Dinosaur. The success of this installation only further proved our dinosaur’s ability to draw in and enthuse a crowd about the natural world.

‘This is why we decided that Dippy would hit the road once more and go on a long-term loan within the UK to benefit a new region and reach a whole new audience. We couldn’t be happier that The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum will be the host of that loan for the next three years and we can’t wait to see the Dippy effect in action again.’

Free tickets to see the dino-star are being snapped up fast and the Herbert has extended its opening hours during February half term, staying open until 6pm on February 21, 22, 24 and 25 and until 9pm on Thursday, February 23 to allow as many as possible to see Dippy. 

Marguerite Nugent, CV Life Director of Culture, said: ‘It is great to unveil Dippy to the public in its new Coventry residence at the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery and we are really looking forward to welcoming as many visitors as possible to see this iconic dinosaur.

‘It was wonderful to be able to offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to Daisy-Marie Taylor – I am sure it’s something she’ll be telling people about for many years to come!

‘Now we’re open, visitors can enjoy our dinosaur themed programme of events and activities, tailored to visitors of all ages, helping them learn more about the Jurassic period, and the evolution of our world.  

‘Visitors to Dippy can make the most of their visit, exploring Dippy’s new home alongside our three permanent galleries, the History Gallery, Discover Godiva and Peace and Reconciliation and our regularly changing temporary exhibitions.’

Tickets for the exhibition can be booked here. 

Ends

Notes to editors

Natural History Museum

Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654 / 07799690151

Email: press@nhm.ac.uk

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

Lee Corden – 07734 888129 – lcorden@advent-communications.co.uk

Adam Manning – 07539 341855 – amanning@advent-communications.co.uk

Images and video available to download here.

About The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most-visited indoor attraction in the UK last year. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.

It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens accessed by researchers from all over the world both in person and via over 30 billion digital data downloads to date. The Museum’s 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency from biodiversity loss through to the sustainable extraction of natural resources.

The Museum uses its global reach and influence to meet its mission to create advocates for the planet - to inform, inspire and empower everyone to make a difference for nature. We welcome millions of visitors through our doors each year, our website has had 17 million visits in the last year and our touring exhibitions have been seen by around 20 million people in the last 10 years.

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is an award-winning gallery and museum situated in the cultural heart of Coventry. The Herbert has a large and wide-ranging collection including social history, archaeology, natural history and art. There are around 6,000 works in the Herbert's visual arts collection, the earliest of which is an Elizabethan portrait attributed to Lucas de Heere. British life and landscape feature in canvases by LS Lowry, Stanley Spencer, David Bomberg, Paul Nash and George Shaw. The Gallery collects new and recent art in a variety of media and styles, currently developing a collection of art on the themes of conflict, peace and reconciliation. Temporary exhibition spaces have hosted collections from museums nationally and internationally. The Herbert recently underwent a vast redevelopment in preparation for Coventry UK City of Culture, enabling the gallery to display more works and major world-class exhibitions.

CV Life – which operates the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum – receives regular public funding from Coventry City Council and Arts Council England.