Following its phenomenal success at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, the Dippy on Tour exhibition has officially been handed over to the Ulster Museum.
Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s 26 metre long dinosaur cast, starts his journey to Belfast this week to prepare for the opening of the Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure exhibition at the Ulster Museum on 28 September.
The 292 bone structure will be dismantled and packed into 16 crates to be transported in a specially-prepared vehicle to travel to Belfast by road and ferry.
National Museums NI and the Natural History Museum, in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, will bring the beloved dinosaur to Belfast, the third stop on an eight venue tour over almost three years, designed to spark the next generation of scientists and encourage families to explore nature on their doorstep. His Belfast visit will be the only chance to see Dippy on the island of Ireland.
Dippy, a plaster cast of the fossilised bones of a Diplodocus found by railroad workers in Wyoming, USA in 1898, will take a full week to build by a team of four technicians and two conservators.
At the Ulster Museum he will sit within an exhibition which explores the uniqueness of our natural world and biodiversity in this part of the island of Ireland.
There will also be a supporting programme of exciting events and activities to accompany Dippy on Tour including science workshops for families, Dippy at Dark events, guided tours, Dippy in-depth talks, films, late night sessions and bespoke dining experiences.
Those planning to visit are urged to book time slots in advance as large crowds are expected to flock to the Ulster Museum during Dippy’ s stay.
Aaron Ward, Head of Creative Engagement for National Museums NI, said: “With just over two weeks to go until the opening of Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure at the Ulster Museum, it’s fair to say that our staff are as excited as many of Dippy’s younger fans!
“We can’t wait to see the crates arrive and see Dippy installed ready to delight our visitors. We look forward to working with the team from the Natural History Museum who will carefully construct the UK’s most famous dinosaur – here in Belfast.
“We’re anticipating a huge volume of visitors so please do pre-book a time slot as the demand to spend time with Dippy will be very high.”
Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure is being brought to visitors by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill. Dippy will be at the Ulster Museum until 6 January 2019.
Tickets to the Dippy on Tour exhibition are free. To make a booking and for further information on the exhibition and associated events, visit www.nmni.com/dippy.