This free London museum is officially one of the greatest in the world

Sure, if you’re desperate to visit the venue of New York’s iconic fashion gala or see the site of the now legendary crown jewel heist, you’re going to have to grab your passport. But did you know that one of the top museums on the planet is right on our doorsteps? It’s got whale skeletons, taxidermied polar bears and animatronic dinosaurs – and better yet, it’s free to enter.

We’re talking, if you hadn’t guessed, about the Natural History Museum. The stunning romanesque structure, which has been standing since 1881, has ranked sixth on Time Out’s list of the 12 museums everyone should visit in their lifetime. It even beat the UNESCO-listed home to the Terracotta Warriors in China and the Vatican Museums at the heart of Italy’s Eternal City.

As for what makes it one of the world’s most unmissable attractions, well, to start there’s the 25-metre-long blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling of the Hintze Hall (pictured above). Named Hope, she replaced Dippy the Diplodocus who reigned in the Hall between 1905 and 2017.

If you grew up in London, you’ll more than likely have headed to the NHM’s hallowed halls on a school trip and will be well acquainted with the galleries of stuffed specimens, including everything from birds and insects to species which have long since gone extinct. It’s also home to a genuine moon rock, an earthquake simulation and a collection of over 300 diamonds. 

But the legendary institution has got far more to offer than just glass cases and dusty relics. The Natural History Museum is currently exhibiting the top 100 images in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which is now in its sixth decade. Plus, you’ve only got a few months left to hear David Attenborough take you through the story of life on our planet and how it’s evolved over billions of years. If there were a time to tick a visit off the bucket list, it’s now.

The 12 museums everyone should visit in their lifetime.

Did you see that the ticket prices have been revealed for the British Museum’s massive Bayeaux Tapestry exhibition this summer?

Plus: ‘A once-in-a-generation opportunity’ – Europe’s biggest exhibition of James McNeill Whistler in 30 years will open in London this week.

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