Natural History Museum London
The scientific collections of Sir Hans Sloane formed the foundation of the Natural History Museum London, which was established in 1754 and relocated to its current location in 1881. The museum, which is fashioned in Romanesque architecture and is a magnificent building, was made by Alfred Waterhouse. The outside of the building is covered with terracotta slabs on which relief animal figures are displayed.
Additionally, the museum is also a centre for scientific investigation on preservation, and it boasts an assortment of historically significant collections, including items that Charles Darwin gathered. The collections of Joseph Banks, who travelled the world with James Cook, 18 volumes of botanical watercolour studies, and 3 volumes of zoological drawings donated by artist Sydney Parkinson, are also present here.
If you're planning a trip to Natural History Museum London, look at our guide of the finest attractions to ensure you get the most out of your stay.
The Earth Hall offers a wide, engaging wealth of knowledge on the world's geology and minerals. A six-foot-diameter rotating globe in the Main Hall reminds visitors of the museum's mission to convey the 'Story of the Earth.'
Visitors can explore an earthquake simulation here, which is quite a real experience. Along with this, there is also a huge collection of diamonds depicting their natural state and their polished form. A particular exhibit depicts "Britain before Man," and other sections deal with regional geology and economic mineralogy.
The Darwin Centre is the newest addition to the Natural History Museum London. The museum is remarkable for its structure, which mimics a huge eight-storey cocoon, and holds millions of preserved specimens. The museum's entomology and botanical collections are housed here, as is Archie, the famed gigantic squid. One of the more popular attractions here is the Attenborough Studio. It includes daily screenings of films and documentaries from the museum's extensive film collection.
Whales and extinct creatures are featured in the northwest quadrant of the ground floor. The lower gallery features terrestrial mammals such as elephants, giraffes, hippos, and ancestors, whereas the upper gallery features aquatic creatures. Exhibits on the first mammals to walk the Earth and Australian fauna are also remarkable.
A few outstanding dinosaurs on show at the Natural History Museum London include the Hypsilophodon and Iguanodon. Several other skeletons from all around the world can also be located in this location. One of the earliest T-Rex fossils was discovered and put on display, together with a triceratops skull.
Upon passing through the section of fossilised mammals, you will come to a section dedicated to balancing nature and the environment. The impact of acid rain on forest and coastal environments may be determined through various interesting facts.
Exhibitions on the first level cover topics such as the evolution of human beings, the origin of the species, and Darwin's theories of evolution and adaptation. Around 130,000 specimens from some 75 percent of the world's known minerals are displayed at the Mineral Gallery.
You must add the stunning Darwin Centre's Zoology building to your itinerary at Natural History Museum London. With over 17 kilometers of the specimen and book-stacked shelves, 'The Behind-the-Scenes Spirit Collection Tour' takes you across Charles Darwin's personal collection. The tours are suitable for children over eight. There are also handheld guides with content suitable for both adults and children.
Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and the London residence of the Royal Family are all within a half-hour walk from the National History Museum London.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit.html