More than 153,000 visitors came to Dorchester to visit a very special dinosaur in just under three months.

Dorset County Museum is celebrating the success of it's special exhibit, Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure, confirming that a total of 153,189 people visited the dinosaur replica - double the initial predictions.

The early May Bank Holiday was the last opportunity for people to visit the impressive 21-metre-long and four-metre-high diplodocus skeleton in Dorset before he was packed up to be transported to to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Never seen before on display outside London since he arrived at the Natural History Museum in 1905, Dorset County Museum was the first stop of Dippy’s UK tour and his mission to inspire five million natural history adventures, encouraging families and schools to explore nature on their doorstep.

Jointly hosting Dippy in Dorset, the Jurassic Coast Trust worked in collaboration with other local organisations to encourage around 25,000 people across the South West to adventure outside to enjoy their own Dippy-themed natural history adventure from geological walks to art days.

Sam Rose, chief executive of the Jurassic Coast Trust, said: "Dippy on Tour has been an exceptional project for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. It is testament to the uniqueness of our World Heritage Site that Dippy's visit has so strongly caught the public imagination, and we hope that their experiences will lead to a lifetime of engagement with our coastline and its incredible stories."

During Dippy’s 12-week stay, the Jurassic Coast Trust toured a Dippy skull visiting 15 different venues in the local area. They also brought the Dippy experience to four Children’s Centres across West Dorset reaching many disadvantaged families.

Dippy’s visit to Dorset would not have been possible without the generosity and support of the tour’s partner, the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Philippa Charles, director of the Garfield Weston Foundation, said: “Our aim is to work in partnership with inspiring causes to make a real difference, so it is wonderful to see the impact Dippy is already making – from contributing to the fantastic cultural offer in the regions he is visiting, to forging new partnerships and helping reignite a passion for nature by encouraging people to venture outdoors. We are thrilled to hear that businesses in Dorset have reported an increase in footfall – all thanks to this awe-inspiring dinosaur cast.”

The official handover moment from Dorset to Birmingham was marked at Dorset County Museum with Jon Murden, director of Dorset County Museum and Gurminder Kenth, museum manager at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Mr Murden said: "It has been incredible to see the impact Dippy has had on the community and local businesses. The whole of Dorset has embraced Dippy into their hearts and even though Dippy is leaving us, he will leave a lasting legacy here.

"I would like to thank everyone who has made Dippy on Tour in Dorset so special and a huge thank you to our wonderful team of staff and volunteers at the Museum for all their hard work.”

While the staff, volunteers and visitors of Dorset County Museum and the Jurassic Coast Trust bid Dippy farewell, the museum is set to enter a new chapter creating Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset. Opening in 2020, the new museum will provide the facilities and infrastructure enabling many more show-stopping exhibitions, like Dippy, to Dorset every year for years to come.