Press Releases

And between October 2019 and January 2020, Dippy will be at the Senedd, the home of the National Assembly for Wales.

Dippy has delighted visitors since he arrived in London in 1905. With support from the Garfield Weston Foundation, the tour will spark the imagination of the next generation of scientists and connect the nation with nature.

Philippa Charles, Director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, says:

“Generations of children have been awestruck by Dippy’s spectacular presence at the heart of the Natural History Museum and we hope he continues to inspire people to rediscover nature as he works his way round the UK. The Foundation’s Trustees are looking forward to Dippy taking pride of place in the different venues and to seeing children enthused and engaged by the wildlife around them.”

Everyone at the Foundation is looking forward to seeing Dippy take pride of place in all the different venues, and seeing children inspired to explore the wildlife around them.”

Dippy will visit Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and five regions across England.

“I’m delighted to be working with the Natural History Museum to bring Dippy to Wales,” said Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, Elin Jones AM.

“The installation will attract thousands of people to the Senedd, the home of Welsh democracy. Working with our partners, we will provide unique learning experiences, linked to sustainability and science, for people of all ages.

“We will also provide further opportunities for visitors to discuss Wales’s past and present and have a say about our nation’s future.”   

Each partner will use Dippy’s visit to showcase their local nature and natural history collections, forging new partnerships between regional cultural, scientific and wildlife organisations.

Dippy’s journey across the UK will follow the grand sweep of geological time. The tour begins on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, and ends in Norwich, exploring how we may secure a sustainable future. Along the way, Dippy will draw attention to the rich array of past and present UK biodiversity.

The National Assembly’s partner organization in Wales is Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. David Anderson, Director General, said:

“We are looking forward to giving Dippy a warm Welsh welcome at the Senedd and interpreting this iconic dinosaur for visitors young and old. Working with the Senedd, we are excited to be joining Dippy as ambassadors for sustainability. Dinosaurs like Dippy - extinct animals from the past - can inspire us to look after animals for present and future generations."

Dinosaur fans can wish Dippy luck on his journey by taking part in the ‘Dinosaur Season’ events in South Kensington until the end of December 2016, including a special New Year’s Eve Party in Hintze Hall. Dippy’s last day on show in London will be 4 January 2017. Conservators will take the next 12 months to prepare the delicate plaster-of-Paris cast for its journey.

In summer 2017 a diving Blue Whale skeleton will take centre stage as part of a reimagining of the grand Hintze Hall. The Blue Whale’s story represents our responsibility for both pushing a living species to the brink of extinction but also our responsibility for its protection and recovery.

Dippy and the Blue Whale are different parts of the same epic, inspiring story - the history of life on planet Earth.