Spend London time in the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. There are five main collections: Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology and Zoology. It has long been a favourite with children, with its exciting collection of Dinosaurs and Creepy Crawlies and treasures from the natural world.  There is also a wildlife garden containing native fauna and flora but its the dinosaur skeletons, particularly the large Diplodocus cast which never fails to fascinate the visitor. The foundation of the collection was a bequest by Irish doctor Sir Hans Sloane (1660–1753). Sloane's collection, which included dried plants, and animal and human skeletons, was initially housed in Montague House in Bloomsbury in 1756, which was the home of the British Museum. The museum which is housed  in one of London's finest buildings includes images of plants, animals and fossils in the exterior brickwork. The Darwin Centre is home to Archie the squid, an 8 metre long giant squid taken alive in a fishing net near the Falkland Islands. The squid is currently on display in a prominent position in the large specimen room, in a reinforced glass tank .   The Natural History Museum    Cromwell Road. South Kensington, SW7. Admission free. Open: Mon-Sat 10.00-17.50, Sun 11.00-17.50 Tube:  South Kensington — there is a tunnel from the station that emerges close to the entrances of the museum

Highlights of the Museum

Find time to see these unmissable highlights of the Natural History Museum.   Dinosaurs Come face to face with a terrifying T. rex. Have a close look at dinosaur skeletons. Find out the facts about why dinosaurs died out. Mammals See some of the largest creatures on the planet and take time to look at a blue whale, the largest creature ever. From whales to elephants to the hippopotamus, you can see fantastic mammal specimens and skeletons and discover more about these magnificent creatures. The Power Within If you want to know what an earthquake feels like and discover what happens when a volcano erupts, you will find out here. Central Hall  With its lofty proportions, wonderful frescoes and sculptures, the Museum's Central Hall forms a great backdrop to some of the highlights of the Museum, including the Diplodocus skeleton, a 1,300-year-old giant sequoia tree, and the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish still living in the Indian Ocean.  Earth’s Treasury  See some truly rare and precious treasures in this fabulous display of rocks, minerals and gemstones