BELFAST'S Ulster Museum is set to host the iconic Dippy the Diplodocus dinosaur as it departs on its first road trip in September 2018.
It will be the first time the dinosaur will leave London since its arrival in the Natural History Museum in 1905.
Dippy the historic dinosaur will be paying the Ulster Museum a visit on its road trip around Britain. (Picture: NMNI.com)Dippy will be travelling Britain visiting eight different venues, in an effort to "encourage families to explore nature on their doorstep" a statement from Ulster Museum said.
"Supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation, it is hoped Dippy’s tour will spark the imagination of the next generation of scientists and connect the nation with nature."
The full 292-bone skeleton in its displayed pose is an impressive 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high.
A total of 90 venues responded to the open-call for potential partners in 2015, among whom the Northern Irish museum was chosen.
Chief Executive of National Museums Northern Ireland Kathryn Thomson said they were "thrilled" to host Dippy.
"We are thrilled that Dippy will be coming to the Ulster Museum in Belfast, where he can be assured of a very warm Northern Irish welcome.
"It will give us a fantastic platform to uncover and connect to stories from our own extensive Natural Sciences collection.
"We look forward to creating an exciting programme of events for Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure that will appeal to all ages and inspire our visitors to engage more with the natural world in our area.”
Director of the Natural History Museum in London Sir Michael Dixon said making "iconic items accessible" is what museums give to the nation.
“We wanted Dippy to visit a variety of 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.
“Working with our eight partners we look forward to inspiring five million natural history adventures and encouraging children from across the country to develop a passion for science and nature.
"Few museum objects are better known - surely no one object better evokes the awesome diversity of species that have lived on Earth?” Sir Dixon added.
The Diplodocus was first described as a new type of dinosaur in 1878 by Professor Othniel C Marsh at Yale University.
The species lived sometime between 156 and 145 million years ago and belongs to a group called sauropods, meaning 'lizard feet'.
When railroad workers unearthed the fossilised bones of a Diplodocus in Wyoming, USA in 1898, newspapers billed the discovery as the 'most colossal animal ever on Earth'.
Since his unveiling in the Natural History Museum in 1905, Dippy the Diplodocus became a star, and has featured in newspaper cartoons, news reports and even played starring roles in film and television.
Dippy is cast from the type specimen found in America.
