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Natural History Museum
Victorian architectural masterpiece featuring dinosaur galleries, Hope Diamond, and interactive Earth Hall. Famous for its stunning Hintze Hall entrance.
About
Hope, a 25-meter blue whale skeleton, greets 5 million annual visitors to this Romanesque 'cathedral of nature.' Housing 80 million specimens from dinosaurs to diamonds, Waterhouse's 1881 masterpiece features carved creatures climbing its terracotta facade—extinct species west, living east—making the building itself a taxonomy lesson.
Dinosaurs to Diamonds
The animatronic T-Rex roars in the Dinosaurs Gallery, while 'Sophie' the Stegosaurus represents the most complete skeleton ever found. Minerals Gallery dazzles with the Aurora Pyramid's 296 colored diamonds, while the Vault protects Martian meteorites and million-pound crystals.
Experience the 1995 Kobe earthquake in a shaking Japanese supermarket, explore Darwin's actual Galápagos finches, or peer through windows at scientists studying 17 million insects in the Cocoon. The museum actively researches, not just displays.
Living Science
Dino Snores sleepovers let families camp among fossils. Nature Live sessions feature scientists with handleable specimens. The Attenborough Studio hosts talks by Sir David himself. Urban Nature Project transforms outdoor spaces into wildlife havens.
Free entry, open late Fridays. Download the app for audio tours and queue times. Don't miss: earthquake simulator, giant sequoia slice, pickled giant squid. Cafés throughout; the Treasures Gallery offers quiet contemplation of the museum's most precious specimens.