Dippy begins three-year residency at the Herbert in Coventry

Dippy the Dinosaur has been unveiled at its new home in Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum.

The Natural History Museum’s much-loved diplodocus cast will be displayed in a free installation at the Herbert for an initial three years under a long-term loan agreement.  

The venue was awarded the loan following its significant refurbishment in the run-up to Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture in 2021, when it hosted the Turner Prize.

The city is hoping to build on the success of the cast’s eight-city tour across the UK in 2018-20, when the so-called “Dippy effect” drew in more than two million visitors and created an economic benefit of just under £36m in the host cities.

The 26-metre-long cast has been without a permanent home since 2017, when the Natural History Museum moved it out of its central spot in Hintze Hall, suspending a blue whale skeleton from the ceiling in its place. It was briefly displayed at the London museum again last autumn.

A new weatherproof bronze replica of the diplodocus specimen will go on display in the grounds of the Natural History Museum as part of its Urban Nature Project, which is due for completion in early 2024.

“Dippy is the UK’s most popular dinosaur so to have something so huge, so iconic, coming to Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is just fantastic,” said Paul Breed, CEO of CV Life, which operates the Herbert.

“It’s a brilliant opportunity for the Herbert, but with how much footfall it will bring, it’s also a huge opportunity for Coventry and the wider economy.

“We look forward to welcoming Dippy and I can’t wait to see the impact it will have on visitors. This kind of world class exhibit should be available to all and I’m glad that with our free ticketing system Dippy will be accessible to everyone, from Coventry school kids to international tourists – it’s going to be a brilliant three years.”

“Dippy has always been a much loved and hugely popular attraction here in London,” said Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum. “After a brief respite back here at the museum where over a million more people visited Dippy Returns: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur, we couldn’t be more thrilled that Dippy will now be taking up residence in Coventry.

“We wish the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum every success and know that Dippy will continue to educate and inspire visitors to explore nature on their own doorsteps and become advocates for the planet.”