Manchester Museum’s famous Tyrannosaurus rex to go on display at Victoria Baths

Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex that has been on display in Manchester Museum’s Fossils Gallery for more than 20 years, will be heading to Victoria Baths next year.

The iconic dinosaur, a full-size cast made from one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossils ever found, will be on display in Victoria Baths’ Gala Pool from Mon 22 Mar 2027 – Mon 19 Apr 2027, marking the first time it has been removed from display since arriving at Manchester Museum in 2004.

Named after Stan Sacrison, the avocational palaeontologist who discovered it, Stan was excavated in South Dakota in 1992 and has since been cast many times. Estimated to be 67 million years old, the original specimen is on display at the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.

The process of moving him to Victoria Baths will be a gargantuan task that will take a team of specialists a full week. At 12 metres long and 3.7 metres tall, Stan is roughly the size of a a double-decker bus, and its bones must be dismantled and reassembled in a strict order to ensure counterbalance and stop the skeleton from toppling over.

During the residency, Stan will be on display to the public but will also be the focal point for a full programme of events, details of which will be announced soon. Manchester Museum is also working hard behind-the-scenes on a temporary Stan stand-in, with news on that to be announced later this year.

Georgina Young, Acting Director at Manchester Museum, said: “Manchester Museum cares for around 4.5m objects and taking them to unexpected places creates new opportunities for learning and connection. Our Asian elephant Maharajah spent time in Piccadilly Station and we’ve taken Egyptian shabtis into schools but Stan is our biggest, boldest move yet.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for people to experience this incredible Tyrannosaurus rex in an entirely different context. Not only is Victoria Baths breathtakingly beautiful but their team will bring renewed creativity to encounters with Stan.”

Anthony Baker, CEO of the Victoria Baths Trust, added: “Victoria Baths would like to state for the record that we did not invite a T. rex skeleton into our Grade II* listed swimming pool. Stan has made his own arrangements and we are simply going along with it. He is insisting that we open our doors for free so that as many people can visit him as possible and it is very difficult to say no to a giant dinosaur, especially when he asked so nicely.

“Stan is also planning a series of unique events and activities that will take place whilst he is staying with us. He won’t tell us exactly what just yet, but he keeps calling it ‘Stan’s Programme of Amazing Events’ and waving his tiny arms excitedly. Whatever happens, we are confident that it will be lots of fun and unlike anything that anyone has ever seen. We aren’t worried about it. A T. rex in an empty, historic pool what could go wrong?”