Natural History Museum, London

The Natural History Museum in London is a major museum of life and earth sciences located in South Kensington, England, housed in a distinctive late 19th-century Romanesque building designed by Alfred Waterhouse. It is one of the world’s leading natural history institutions, with very large collections used for research and public education.

Exhibits range from skeletons and mineralogy to interactive displays about biodiversity and human impacts, with notable gallery spaces such as the central Hintze Hall and the Darwin Centre. The museum combines permanent displays with rotating exhibitions and family-friendly interpretation.

The museum opened in its current building in the late 19th century and has since expanded its research facilities and public galleries; it remains an active centre for scientific study as well as a major visitor attraction. Conservation and display work continue to evolve, with long-term care of extensive specimen collections.

Located in the South Kensington cultural district of London, the museum sits within a cluster of major institutions and is a short walk from the city’s museums and transport connections.

• Collection size: The museum's holdings include tens of millions of specimens across natural history collections, used for research as well as public display.

What to See #

• Hintze Hall: Hintze Hall, the museum's main atrium, notable for its vaulted Romanesque architecture and large suspended specimens and displays.
• Darwin Centre: The Darwin Centre, a modern research and collections facility with public displays that explain the museum's scientific work and house specimens behind glass.