More than a quarter of a million see Dippy

More than a quarter of a million people have been to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to meet Dippy, the Natural History Museum London’s famous dinosaur, in just six weeks.

Some 257,000 people have been to see Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure, setting a record for the highest number of visitors to date.

Glasgow is the fourth stop on an eight city UK wide tour, which has already been to Dorset, Birmingham and Belfast. Between May and September 2018 an incredible 255,548 visitors descended on Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to marvel at the impressive 21.3 meter long diplodocus cast. Since opening to a rapturous Scottish audience in Kelvingrove Museum at the end of January, Dippy has delighted 257,246 visitors, more than in any other city so far – with nine weeks of his visit still to go.

Glasgow is the only city in Scotland to host Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure, which is being brought to Kelvingrove Museum and visitors across the UK by the Natural History Museum, London in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation, and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill.

Chair of Glasgow Life, Councillor David McDonald, said: ‘Achieving this coveted record in such a short space of time highlights just how much of an impression Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic dinosaur, has made in Glasgow.

‘Dippy on Tour is the most successful temporary exhibition at Kelvingrove Museum since it reopened after refurbishment 13 years ago. We’ve welcomed treble the number of visitors during this six week period compared to last year, with the opening weekend being our busiest in more than a decade.

‘Dippy will be here until early May. We want everyone to take advantage of this unique opportunity to enjoy a natural history adventure on your doorstep, and with more than half of his time in Glasgow still to go we hope the total number of people to see Dippy will be almost as huge as he is.’

Lorraine Cornish, head of conservation at the Natural History Museum London, said: ‘We knew Dippy was going to be a success at Kelvingrove after he received such a warm welcome. It is great to hear so many people, especially children, have now had the chance to be inspired by this impressive giant. We hope those who have visited have learned something new about the natural world and that this encourages them to connect with nature and have their own natural history adventures.’

The 292 bone structure is on show until 6 May 2019. Admission is free and you do not require a ticket to visit, although people are being asked to consider using public transport to get to Kelvingrove Museum and leave a little extra time to see Dippy, especially at weekends and during school holidays.

Dippy on Tour is on a mission to inspire five million natural history adventures and encourage families to explore nature on their doorstep. Glasgow Museums will use Dippy’s visit, together with a supporting public and schools programme, to showcase the city’s natural history collection and stunning local natural habitats.

For further information on Dippy on Tour and associated events, visit www.glasgowmuseums.com.