Natural History Museum
Upcoming Tours
No tours this weekend
What Visitors Say
An absolutely magical place for all ages! The moment you walk into Hintze Hall and see the massive blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, you know you’re in for something special. It’s a very family-friendly museum where you can easily spend the entire day exploring. The dinosaur gallery with its incredible fossils is a highlight, and the exhibits on evolution are fascinating. A wonderful experience in a stunning building. Free entry!
The Natural History Museum London is absolutely stunning. It’s incredibly family-friendly – with many super interesting and lively exhibits that keep kids of all ages engaged, and it never feels boring. Some absolute highlights for are: -The massive blue whale skeleton (Hope) hanging in the stunning Hintze Hall right at the entrance – jaw-dropping and beautiful. -The mammals gallery with huge elephants, giraffes, lions and more – super impressive and detailed. - The dinosaur gallery featuring the roaring, animated and moving T-Rex – still gives you goosebumps and kids love it. The building itself is a masterpiece with gorgeous architecture. Free entry (donations welcome), perfect for half a day or a full day family adventure.
First time in years I attended and it did not disappoint. What a beautiful building, exhibits and history. Securing the free tickets online and option to donate is worth it as the line is quick. The dinosaurs were as usual a big hit despite it being busy. The only slight drawback was the queues at the ladies toilets. The adjacent restaurant and very well maintained fern garden was also worth the visit.
If you had the time to do one museum on your London trip it has to be this one. The Natural History Museum is such a joy to visit with its carefully thought out sections and indoor/outdoor layout. You can easily spend 6 hours walking around here with breaks. If you are short on time then I would recommend saving 2 hours for a quick tour to cover the major exhibits. Also the gift shop is absolutely adorable and you can pick up great souvenirs from here.
Definitely a must see in London. The entrance is free but I completely recommend booking your free ticket on the website otherwise you’ll need to be in line and they are usually huuuuuge, it can take hours. The museum itself it’s already soooo beautiful, the place was already constructed to become this museum, so you can see it in all building details. The expos are incredible and animals are my favorite part by far… if you’re in a hush you can see in 2 hours the most famous parts.. but to see it better a recommend half a day.
Highlights
Hintze Hall Whale
Iconic blue whale skeletonSuspended in 2017, the 25-metre blue whale ‘Hope’ replaced the famous Diplodocus cast to highlight ocean conservation.
Hintze Hall, central nave
Dinosaurs Gallery
Crowd-favourite fossilsFrom a roaring T. rex to fossil skulls, this gallery traces 230 million years of evolution and extinction.
Blue Zone, Ground Floor
Minerals and Gems
Stunning crystals and meteoritesThousands of specimens reveal Earth’s chemistry, including iron meteorites that travelled millions of kilometres.
Red Zone, Upper Floor
Darwin Centre Cocoon
Behind-the-scenes scienceOpened in 2009, this eight-storey ‘Cocoon’ houses 22 million specimens and working labs visible to visitors.
Orange Zone
Earth Hall Escalator
Journey through the planetA glowing escalator carries you through a metallic globe into galleries on volcanoes, quakes and deep time.
Red Zone, entrance
Opening Hours
Fun Facts
The museum opened in 1881 and now holds about 80 million specimens.
‘Hope’ the blue whale measures around 25 metres and was installed in 2017.
The Darwin Centre Cocoon, opened in 2009, stores 22 million insect and plant specimens.
In 2023 the museum welcomed roughly 5.7 million visitors, among the UK’s busiest attractions.
The museum’s Romanesque building by Alfred Waterhouse uses 12 million terracotta tiles.
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