How long is Dippy the Dinosaur?
IF you’ve been to a history museum across the UK, you might have come across Dippy The Dinosaur.
Get to know more about the nation’s favourite dinosaur and its tour across the UK.
Who is Dippy the Dinosaur?
Dippy the Dinosaur is a replica of a diplodocus made from original fossil bones discovered in the US in 1898.
A diplodocus is a herbivore dinosaur with a long neck that was used to reach high and low vegetation and water.
It lived during the Jurassic Period which would be about 150 million to 155 million years ago.
It arrived in the Natural History Museum in London in 1905 and then moved to central hall in 1979.
He became a symbol of the museum as he stood inside the main visitors’ entrance before he went on tour for visitors in different parts of the UK to also see him.
On the tour, he also got some upkeeping with remaking some parts and giving him a new, modular support structure which will make the packing and unpacking easier.
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Dippy got to visit several places across the UK while on tour such as Dorset, Birmingham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Wales, and Glasgow.
When he was kicking off on tour in 2017, Museum director Sir Michael Dixon said: “We wanted Dippy to visit unusual locations so he can draw in people that may not traditionally visit a museum.
“Making iconic items accessible to as many people as possible is at the heart of what museums give to the nation, so we have ensured that Dippy will still be free to view at all tour venues.”
How long is Dippy the Dinosaur?
Dippy the Dinosaur’s length is about 88 feet, making the diplodocus the longest known dinosaur.
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That would be converted to 27 metres.
Where is Dippy the Dinosaur?
Dippy the Dinosaur is back in the National History Museum until 2023 when it finds another place to visit.
It was moved for the first time from this museum in 2017, after 112 years.
Its tour resulted in an income of just under £36 million and created what was called the “Dippy effect” as it saw an increase of museum visitors everywhere it went.