One of London’s most roarsome Christmas sights has been unveiled. Over in the Natural History Museum, one of the resident dinosaurs is sporting a new festive garment. Each year, the museum dresses up its animatronic T. rex in a super-sized Christmas jumper – launching their new design for the year – and they’ve just unveiled this year’s display.
The enormous jumper gets stretched out over the fearsome dinosaur in a now annual display that started back in 2021. And museum workers also pop a Santa hat on the dino’s head for good measure. The display makes for a delightfully charming sight – proving that even carnivores can get into the Christmas spirit. (Scrooge could have learned a thing or two…)
The festive T. rex jumper
As always, The Natural History Museum’s new jumper draws inspiration from the museum’s own collection. In partnership with NOTJUST, a UK-based social enterprise, they’ve come up with a design that features a variety of prehistoric specimens. These include a T. rex skull (naturally) and ammonite fossils. And across the back of the jumper, you’ll spot an illustration of the museum itself. (Though you might have to crane your neck to spot it on the T. rex himself.)
As always with the Natural History Museum, entry is free. And since the T. rex is one of the museum’s permanent displays, there’s no extra exhibition ticket to purchase. Just rock up, wander around, marvel at the wonders of the natural world, then head to the Dinosaurs Gallery to check out the T. rex’s wonderful new jumper. But be prepared for a queue. The T. rex is already a hugely popular sight, and even more people flock to see it in its festive get-up.
Get your own T. rex Christmas jumper
You can buy a (human-sized) version of the T. rex’s fearsomely festive Christmas jumper, as well as a matching scarf and pair of socks with the same design. And you can even grab a doggy jumper so you and your four-legged friend (and the T. rex) can all match! Are you really going to turn down the chance to take a photo with the T. rex in matching outfits?
Said Claire Bevan, Head of Retail and Customer Contact at the Natural History Museum:
“Since we first began our Christmas T. rex tradition half a decade ago, it has become a firm favourite amongst our 6 million-strong visitors annually. Part of what makes our Museum so special is that it’s free entry for all and this ferociously festive display is always part of that. Our Christmas knitwear is one of the Shop’s best-sellers and all profits help support our world-leading scientists’ research and the Museum’s educational public programming.”
📍 Find the Natural History Museum at Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 5BD. The nearest stations are South Kensington and Gloucester Road.