A museum in Coventry is now home to what is arguably the most well-known dinosaur exhibit in the entire world. .
Dippy the Diplodocus will be on display at Herbert Art Gallery and Museum for the following three years.
More than two million people saw the 26-meter-long (85-foot) skeleton during a tour of the UK after its 112-year tenure at the Natural History Museum came to an end in 2017.
According to the museum, the exhibition was a "great coup" for Coventry.
Marguerite Nugent, cultural director at Culture Coventry, said that it took about a dozen people four days to assemble the 292 replica bones, which came in 28 crates.
"I can't believe that today is the day we open to the public," she said. "It's been a really exciting process.".
It is a huge asset to have in the structure. ".
In order to allow for damage-free unloading of crates, a plywood floor was laid across the gallery where Dippy is displayed, measuring 4 by 8 meters (13 by 26 feet).
A very large dinosaur skeleton like this is difficult to move and assemble, according to Lorraine Cornish, head of conservation at the Natural History Museum.
"You need to be sure that everything is oriented correctly, so learn the anatomy of dinosaurs. ".
Free tickets that could be reserved in advance have all been used for the first week of the exhibition.
Ms. Nugent added that walk-in tickets are also offered on the day of the event.
Officials from the museum said they anticipated high demand around Easter.
It is hoped that the exhibition will also help the city center's economy.
We're very excited about the potential to increase foot traffic to the city and really showcase the city, Ms. Nugent continued. "We know from previous venues that Dippy has a huge impact on the visitor economy in every city where it's been," she said.
