A very special and very big visitor has finally arrived in Dorchester.
Dippy the Diplodocus officially arrived at Dorset County Museum on Tuesday, with it now being less that two weeks until he is on show to the public.
The Natural History Museum's 292-piece replica Diplodocus is the first stop of his UK tour in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation and is expected to bring thousands of people to the town.
The parts were transported in specially designed packaging crates, with the reassembling of Dippy being a very big task.
Lucky competition winner, 11-year-old Harry Swift from Eastleigh, Hampshire, will be placing the very last piece of the Dippy cast prior to his presentation to the general public.
Director of Dorset County Museum, Jon Murden, said: “It’s a very exciting day here at Dorset County Museum, one we have all been waiting for since discussions first started with the Natural History Museum back in 2015.
"I am really proud of my team here at the museum, and took great satisfaction when congratulated for our preparations by the Natural History Museum.
"I’d like to thank the people of Dorchester, local businesses and the local authorities for their patience as we unloaded Dippy.
"Dippy is now safely in the building ready for us to start one massive and exciting jigsaw to get him ready for the opening of Dippy On Tour on February 10.”
District and town councillor for Dorchester, David Taylor, said Dippy's arrival was "a great moment for the town".
He said: "It was really exciting to see Dippy come into the town, thanks to the fantastic work of Jon and his team. Securing Dippy for the town really is an absolutely fantastic achievement.
"Dippy will be bringing so many people to our town and we need to make the most of it.
"I've booked my tickets to go and see him myself, I can't wait."
Dippy on Tour opens to the public on Saturday, February 10, and will be at Dorset County Museum until Monday, May 7.
Tickets to this family experience are free and allocated on a first come first served basis from dorsetcountymuseum.org or from the museum's reception.
Museum members will be allowed unlimited access to the exhibition, so if you are unfortunate not to be allocated the time slot you want, you could still see Dippy by becoming a member and supporting the museum.
Call 01305 756827 or check the website on dorsetcountymuseum.org for more information on Dippy.