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Natural History Museum

  • Museums
  • South Kensington
  • price 0 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  1. © Trustees of the NHM
    © Trustees of the NHM
  2. Dinosaur skeleton at Dinosnores sleepover © Celia Topping
    Dinosaur skeleton at Dinosnores sleepover © Celia Topping
  3. Sabre toothed tiger skull © Celia Topping
    Sabre toothed tiger skull © Celia Topping
  4. Kids explore the NHM © Courtesy of Trustees of Natural History Museum
    Kids explore the NHM © Courtesy of Trustees of Natural History Museum
  5. Annual summer Sensational Butterflies event © Kevin Webb/NHM Image Resources
    Annual summer Sensational Butterflies event © Kevin Webb/NHM Image Resources
  6. Annual winter ice rink at the NHM © PETER KINDERSLEY
    Annual winter ice rink at the NHM © PETER KINDERSLEY
  7. Dinosnores adult sleepover © Celia Topping
    Dinosnores adult sleepover © Celia Topping
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Time Out says

5 out of 5 stars

Both a research institution and a fabulous museum, the Natural History Museum opened in Alfred Waterhouse’s purpose-built Romanesque cathedral of nature on the Cromwell Road in 1881. Joined by the splendid Darwin Centre extension in 2009, the original building still looks quite magnificent. The pale blue and terracotta façade just about prepares you for the natural wonders within.

Since 1905, London’s most beloved dinosaur, Dippy the Diplodocus, reigned in the Hintze Hall. The 26-metre-long plaster-cast replica of a Diplodocus skeleton embarked on a nationwide tour in 2017 – while Dippy’s off on holiday, a diving Blue Whale skeleton has taken up his spot.

A left turn leads into the west wing or Blue Zone, where long queues form to see animatronic dinosaurs - especially endlessly popular T rex. A display on biology features an illuminated, man-sized model of a foetus in the womb along with graphic diagrams of how it might have got there.

A right turn from the central hall leads past the ‘Creepy Crawlies’ exhibition to the Green Zone. Stars include a cross-section through a Giant Sequoia tree and an amazing array of stuffed birds, including the extinct dodo and the chance to compare the egg of a hummingbird, smaller than a little fingernail, with that of an elephant bird (now extinct), almost football-sized. 

Beyond is the Red Zone where you can take an escalator ride through the centre of the Earth to discover the famous earthquake simulator. ‘Earth’s Treasury’ is a mine of information on a variety of precious metals, gems and crystals; ‘From the Beginning’ is a brave attempt to give the expanse of geological time a human perspective. 

Many of the museum’s 80 million specimens are housed in the Darwin Centre, where they take up nearly 17 miles of shelving. With its eight-storey Cocoon, this is also home to the museum’s research scientists.

Each year the museum features fresh new temporary exhibitions, as well as some regular favourites, like Wildlife Photographer of the Year and their tropical butterfly house.  

See more of London's best museums and our seven favourite objects inside the National History Museum.

Details

Address:
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 5BD
Transport:
Tube: South Kensington
Price:
Free (permanent collection); admission charge applies for some temporary exhibitions
Opening hours:
Daily 10am-5.50pm (last admission 5.30pm)
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What’s on

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This renowned annual photography exhibition returns to the Natural History Museum for its fifty-ninth edition, showcasing the very best entries of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. On display are images of the most extraordinary species on the planet captured by professional and amateur photographers. This year saw 49,957 entries from 95 countries, 100 of which were selected for the exhibition, including the winning image of a shimmering golden horseshoe crab taken by French underwater photographer and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta. Don’t miss what is always a highlight in the NHM’s calendar.

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