Main Image: Children say their goodbyes at a farewell party for Dippy, who has had a record-breaking stay at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
The Natural History Museum’s touring exhibition, Dippy on Tour, has seen the much-loved diplodocus – once a focal point at the London Museum from 1979 to 2017 – begin travelling to eight UK destinations earlier this year
Dippy has recently left Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), its home from 26 May – 9 September 2018, but only after breaking previous visitor records for a temporary exhibition
The cast of a real fossilised dinosaur skeleton is now getting used to a new home at the Ulster Museum, Belfast and will be open to public visits from 28 September 2018 – 6 January 2019
Janine Eason, Director of Engagement at Birmingham Museums TrustSeeing so many people come to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery shows the power that museum objects can have in attracting people to the city centre. We hope to see many of Dippy’s visitors back at the museum again as we have a jam-packed year ahead
Top Five Numbers for Dippy on Tour at BMAG
1. 255,548
Visitors – BMAG’s most successful ever temporary exhibition
2. 140,203
The additional visitors to Birmingham City Centre who visited especially to see the exhibition
3. £1.7m
Research shows that the direct economic impact of these visitors on the city is almost £1.7m, bringing additional spend to local businesses, shops, restaurants and hotels. *
4. 66,844
The number of visitors to the exhibition from outside the West Midlands
5. 2,000
The number of hours the 65 volunteers supporting Dippy on Tour dedicated to the exhibition
* Results from Bluegrass Research – Calculating the Economic Impact of ‘Dippy on Tour’ on Birmingham City Centre
