10 Highlights at the Natural History Museum, London
- Gavin with a "G"
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
The Natural History Museum in London features stunning exhibits, including dinosaur skeletons, the Hope Whale, and a vast collection of gemstones, making it a must-visit destination for the whole family! Here are just 10 highlights.
Dinosaur Gallery: The museum is renowned for its impressive dinosaur exhibits, including a life-sized animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex that roars and moves, and Sophie the Stegosaurus, the world's most complete specimen. These exhibits bring the prehistoric giants to life and are a Guy the Gorilla: London Zoo’s much-loved former resident, Guy, a western lowland gorilla, remains as majestic and iconic as he was in his time. Guy stands proudly at the right-hand entrance of the Treasures Gallery, at the top of Hintze Hall’s grand staircase.
"Hope" The Blue Whale Hintze Hall: The gateway to the galleries and the collections inside. Look up at the blue whale skeleton, named Hope. This 25.2-meter-long skeleton serves as a powerful symbol of nature's grandeur and the urgent need for conservation.
The Evolution Garden Evolution Garden: Follow the story of how life on Earth has changed over time, from the days of the dinosaurs through to today. As you move through the gardens, follow in the footsteps of evolution. Along the way feel ancient fossils, spot a grazing Hypsilophodon and tread among the footprints of your oldest ancestors.
The Dodo The Dodo Model: The Dodo is probably the most well-known of the extinct birds in the world. This flightless bird endemic to the island of Mauritius became extinct sometime in the 17th century. Always very popular with the children because of the birds expression and weird shape.
The Cheddar Man Human Evolution Gallery: This exhibit traces the journey of human evolution, featuring fossils and interactive displays that provide insights into our origins and the evolutionary processes that shaped humanity. Look out for the Cheddar Man skeleton found in Gough's Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset. The skeletal remains date to around the mid-to-late 9th millennium BC!
A Statue of Charles Darwin Charles Darwin’s Book: On the Origin of Species is arguably the most important book in biology, in which Darwin describes his theory of evolution by natural selection. The Natural History's library holds the world’s largest concentration of Darwin works. It has 478 editions of On the Origin of Species in 38 languages and in Braille.
archaeopteryx fossil Archaeopteryx fossil: Scientists now know that dinosaurs evolved bird-like characteristics long before the appearance of Archaeopteryx – the Late Jurassic fossil sometimes referred to as the earliest bird. This is the first skeleton specimen ever found and one of the most scientifically important fossils in the museum.
Hintz Hall The Stunning Building: One of the main reasons to visit this museum is to see the building; both outside and inside area stunning. Although the origins of the museum stretch back to the British Museum founded in 1753, its current building first opened in 1881. The museum's nickname is the "Cathedral of Nature" and was featured in the first Paddington film!
Guy the Gorilla Guy the Gorilla: London Zoo’s much-loved former resident, Guy, a western lowland gorilla, remains as majestic and iconic as he was in his time. Guy stands proudly at the right-hand entrance of the Treasures Gallery, at the top of Hintze Hall’s grand staircase.
Earth Hall Volcanoes & Earthquakes Gallery: Through dramatic film footage, exhibits, interactive games and the famous earthquake simulator, explore how the powers within shape the world in which we live in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery.
There are your 10 highlights at the Natural History Museum. It is free to visit the museum, but because it can get very busy, it's worth pre-booking your free tickets online to avoid a long queue to get inside.
For more information visit: Home | Natural History Museum
