Tickets for Dorset County Museum’s ‘Dippy on Tour’ exhibition will be available this weekend, but you’ll need to act fast to secure your place.

Dippy, the Natural History Museum’s iconic 292-piece Diplodocus will soon be arriving at Dorset County Museum as part of his UK tour, supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Opening to the public on February 10, Dippy will stay on display until May 8 2018 at which point he will leave and head off to Birmingham on the next stage of his national tour.

Dippy is a herbivore and lived between 156 and 145 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

The full skeleton cast in its displayed pose it 21.3 metres long, 4.3 metres wide and 4.25 metres high.

Museum director Jon Murden said: “Dippy’s visit to Dorset is a once in a lifetime opportunity and only made possible by the generous support off the Garfield West Foundation, who like the Natural History Museum, are hoping to inspire a new generation of budding scientists and naturalists.”

Tickets for Dippy will be available from midday tomorrow (1).

In addition to seeing Dippy, visitors are being encouraged to also visit the museum’s permanent Jurassic Coast gallery featuring some of the world’s rarest fossils.

Dr Sam Rose, chief executive of the Jurassic Coast Trust said: “With the Jurassic Coast just a few miles away, visitors can also explore places where we can see fossil footprints of dinosaurs like Dippy, and find out about the other incredible animals that lived in what is now Dorset but around 115mllion years ago.”

Transported in specially designed packaging crates, the reassembling of Dippy is a gigantorsaurus task to say the least.

Dorset County Museum therefore needs the help of a local young scientist to complete the reconstruction.

Anyone who wants to help with the reconstruction should email competitions@dorsetcountymuseum.org with the subject heading ‘Dippy on Tour’ or send a postcard or letter with your name and return contact details to; Dippy On Tour, Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA.

The lucky winner will then be chosen and will accompany Lorraine Cornish, the Natural History Museum’s head of conservation, to help place Dippy back together.

Mr Murden added: “We’re on the hunt for an enthusiastic scientist, someone who shares our passion for both the natural world and of course dinosaurs.”

“Our search is not restricted to just Dorset, we want to hear from any 11 to18-year-olds from across the South West region.”

For more information visit dorsetcountymuseum.org

The closing date for submissions for the competition is December 20 and the winner will need to be available on either February 8 or 9 2018 from 4pm and 8pm.