I still remember walking into the Natural History Museum for the very first time. The museum is housed in one of the most beautiful buildings in London, with stunning Romanesque windows and blue tiled walls. Entering the arched entranceway, the first thing I saw was an enormous model of a Diplodocus skeleton standing proudly in the central hall.
Ever since then, I’ve regarded the NHM as a truly special place, filled with knowledge, wonder, and awe. With over 80 million specimens of zoology, palaeontology, botany and geology, the museum is a world-renowned centre of naturalism and conservation. To this day, the museum still contains exhibits collected by Charles Darwin himself.
If you’re spending even a single day in London, do not miss out on a trip to the Natural History Museum. It’s an experience you’ll remember for years to come (and of course, entry is completely free!).
Let’s take a look at some of the museum’s most exciting exhibits.
The Hintze Hall
This one is hard to miss, as it’s the first thing you’ll see when entering the museum. For decades, Dippy the Diplodocus took centre stage here before he was finally replaced in 2017. Today, you’ll be greeted by an 82ft skeleton of a blue whale, the largest animal ever to live on Earth. That’s not the only thing worth seeing in this beautiful hall, however. Take a walk around the perimeter and you’ll find some amazing exhibits, including a full-sized American Mastodon skeleton and a pair of Irish Elk antlers over 3.5 meters in length.
Don’t miss: The statue of Charles Darwin on the rear staircase.
Dinosaurs
Take a left from the central hall and another left and you’ll find yourself in the museum’s famous Dinosaur exhibit. Here, you’ll get to meet some of the oldest animal specimens in the museum, including Triceratops, Iguanodon, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Parasaurolophus. Some of the skeletons here are over 150 million years old.
Don’t miss: The animatronic Tyrannosaurs Rex; hear him roar!
The Mammal House
If you liked the blue whale skeleton then you’re going to love the mammal house. See all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, from the magnificent whale and dolphin models to the bizarre Diprotodon. In the mammal house, you’ll experience the true diversity of the natural world in all its grandeur and beauty.
Don’t miss: The human biology exhibit and the upstairs gallery in the whale hall
The Red Zone
Who knew that looking at rocks could be so fascinating? From volcanos and earthquakes to some of Earth’s rarest minerals, the Red Zone exhibitions take you on a hundred-million-year journey through the evolution of our planet. Be amazed as you travel up the Earth Escalator through a giant metal sculpture of our planet. Discover a giant stalagmite, a Stegosaurus footprint, and a 3,500-million-year-old microfossil that may very well have been amongst the earliest life on Earth.
Don’t miss: The earthquake simulator and the giant celestial map on the walls of the Red Zone.
It would be easy to spend a few days just exploring the various exhibits of the Natural History Museum. However, if you have limited time, make sure to fit in the exhibits above you’ll be sure to have a fascinating and fun-filled day.
Don’t forget to take a look at the museum’s amazing range of exhibits and events. From movie nights in the museum to butterfly exhibitions and Wildlife Photographer of the Year, there are some truly unique experiences on offer.
If you’d like to explore the NHM as part of a guided tour of London get in touch with one of our travel consultants here at Evan Evans.
