Fossils and Folklore Trail at The Herbert

Look out for fossils from our collection as you journey on the Fossils and Folklore trail around The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry.

Explore the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum’s permanent galleries with our Dippy-inspired fossil trail. From snakestones to devil’s fingers, this fun, free trail explores the connection between fossils and folklore, with displays dotted around the building.

The Fossils and Folklore Trail at The Herbert, Coventry is a great way for families to explore the museum together, before or after visiting Dippy: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur, on loan from the Natural History Museum.

Fresh from its recent return home to the Natural History Museum, Dippy the Diplodocus (DIP-low-DOCK-us) is stomping into Coventry, set to remain as dino-in-residence at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum for three years!

Dippy the dinosaur is a life-size, plaster-of-paris replica of a Diplodocus carnegii skeleton. It became the first Diplodocus to go on display anywhere in the world when it was gifted to the Natural History Museum by Andrew Carnegie on 12 May 1905.

It quickly became a star, capturing hearts and imaginations, and went on to complete a whirlwind tour of the UK in 2017.

Diplodocus carnegii lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 155 – 145 million years ago and their skeletons have been found in North America. They were huge, plant-eating dinosaurs, with long whip-like tails. They grew to about 24-26 metres long and probably weighed up to around 15 tonnes. For comparison, a London double-decker bus is around 14 metres long and weighs 12 tonnes.