The world famous Diplodocus dinosaur cast from the Natural History Museum is on a national tour and he'll arrive in Rochdale, his only North West stop, in February 2020. Dippy will be wowing visitors in Rochdale from 10 February to 28 June 2020.
How to book
You can book your tickets through our online booking system. Your ticket to Meet Dippy at Number One Riverside automatically includes your entry to the Dippy experience at Touchstones Rochdale.
A unique opportunity for Rochdale schoolchildren
As Dippy is a once in a lifetime opportunity to inspire the next generation of scientists, we've given children in the borough of Rochdale priority booking. This means we released tickets to our local schools before we extended the opportunity to schools across the wider region.
- We advise schools to book early to avoid disappointment.
- The event is free to attend.
What to expect on your school visit
A unique event – 2 experiences in one. Schoolchildren can look forward to a double dino adventure, with 2 separate natural history adventures to enjoy, Meet Dippy and the Dippy exhibition.
We highly recommend schools book to both Meet Dippy and the Dippy exhibition for a full experience as they both offer a fantastic educational experience,
Meet Dippy at Number One Riverside: pupils will start their visit by seeing Dippy himself at the council's office building, customer service centre and library, Number One Riverside.
Accompanying Dippy in Number One Riverside will include:
- Downloadable science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focussed content to enable schools to guide themselves around the exhibition and understand the significance of Dippy and the supporting themes of evolution, biodiversity and sustainable futures.
- There will also be a selection of pre and post visit activities so you can design your own Dippy experience. All resources will have clear curricular links and be designed to encourage creativity, scientific investigation and curiosity.
- You can access a range of free cross-curriculum learning resources for teachers and home educators, helping 4-11 year-olds explore the natural world both now and in the time of the dinosaurs. Take part in the Dippy on Tour Natural History Adventure (external link).
- There will be hands on activities in our educational spaces.
Dippy Exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale: once you've been wowed by meeting Dippy, take a short (approximately 0.4 mile) walk across Rochdale town centre to our local museum and art gallery, Touchstones Rochdale, for the next instalment of your Dippy adventure. At Touchstones Rochdale, there will be 3 galleries packed with exciting interactive exhibits that will complement the Dippy experience and extend scientific enquiry into the supporting themes.
We estimate you'll spend up to 1 hour at each venue. Both Number One Riverside and Touchstones Rochdale will have an on-site shop selling Dippy goodies, as well as a café.
Frequently Asked Questions
We advise you to read all Frequently Asked Questions in the sections for schools, groups and visitors.
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