Just five stops on the Circle Line from the Darlington Hotel, The Natural History Museum is the most popular natural history museum in Europe. Each year, over five million people walk through its door.
Before visitors even get to the exhibits, however, they find themselves in Hintze Hall, recently reimagined by the museum to draw people in. Once they have made it through Hintze Hall, visitors can see Hope, a 25-metre long blue whale, diving down from the ceiling. Then there are rocks as old as the stars themselves and the most complete dinosaur in the UK.
Visitors work their way around the museum in coloured zones. Blue looks at dinosaurs through to mammals. Green looks at the Earth’s evolution. Red looks at the forces that formed the planet itself. Meanwhile, orange considers science and the work of scientists, including Darwin.
Each zone has great places to eat. There’s the T-Rex Grill in the Blue Zone for those who enjoy burgers and fries, for example. In the Red Zone, meanwhile, visitors can find delicious cakes in The Coffee Shop.
There is something for everyone, young and old alike, at the Natural History Museum. This includes a range of temporary exhibits. Right now, for example, in the Museum of the Moon, visitors can stand under Luke Jerram's moon artwork. Jerram’s moon is six metres wide and features NASA imagery.
There are also ongoing events including the Race for Nature 5K or 10K run, Pop-up Family Cinema, and Family Yoga Classes. To make the yoga classes extra special, they take place under the Museum of the Moon.
Visitor Information
Visitors will need to pay to attend the special exhibits and events. Everything else, though, is free. The Natural History Museum is open every day apart from 24 to 26 December because of Christmas. The opening hours are 10 AM to 5:50 PM, with the last admission being at 5:30 PM. With so much to explore, however, visitors are advised to get there early, so they don’t run out of time.