Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
“Sleeping Figure” stretches 150 feet end to end.
'Sleeping Figure'
The Barnard’s Inn building, home to Gresham College.
Gresham College
The Hell’s Gate Airtram gondola and footbridge.
Hell's Gate, British Columbia
Goa's Daugim Cross
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
about 5 hours ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
1 day ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
3 days ago
Price Tower
What Happened to Price Tower, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Only Skyscraper?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London Natural History Museum of London

Natural History Museum of London

Eighty million natural history specimens call this gargantuan museum home.

London, England

Added By
Allison Meier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Swinging monkey skeletons   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Dramatic entrance to the Earth Galleries   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
July 31, 2016   Pengwn / Atlas Obscura User
A hunter remembered   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Main hall   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Statue of Darwin   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
Monkey carved on a banister   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
A carved dodo bird on the wall of the museum   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
The Cursed Amethyst   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
A Malayan tapir taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
African elephant taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A Papua new Guinean Cuscus and an Australian oppossum , strange marsupials   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Skeleton of a giant ground sloth , a gargantuan Prehistoric beast   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Rhinos in the mammal hall : Black rhino on the left and Sumatran rhino on right   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A Tamandua anteater taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
View of African elephant taxidermy and view of the mammal hall   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A fruit bat (also known as a flying fox) taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A miniature sting ray in the spirit collection   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A 1759 painting of the extinct dodo and (still surviving) macaws   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A long dead tree frog in the spirit collection   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Upside down African agama lizard in the spirit collection   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
A bear foetus   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
A fearsome taxidermy specimen of a Tasmanian devil   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A bear foetus   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Kiwi taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Taxidermy specimen of an extinct great auk   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Heads of extinct Hawaiian huia birds   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Taxidermy owl heads , part of the avian evolution display   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Close up of an Ethiopian wolf taxidermy specimen   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
  shylary / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
2019 exhibition “Museum of the moon”   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
An extremely rare taxidermy specimen of an endangered Javan rhinoceros   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
A jar full of long dead midwife toads   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Taxidermy animals and a whale skeleton   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
The skeleton of a blue whale hangs from the ceiling in the main hall.   Kerry Wolfe / Atlas Obscura User
Hall of Minerals   Allison / Atlas Obscura User
2017-The entrance to the earth galleries is now part of a spectacular lighting effect.   Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Pop up conservation studio with the blue whale jaw bones on display   ariadnemaze / Atlas Obscura User
The Mammals Hall   ariadnemaze / Atlas Obscura User
The annual ice rink outside the museum   ariadnemaze / Atlas Obscura User
Queue to enter during peak summer tourist season   ariadnemaze / Atlas Obscura User
Front facade - one of the most recognisable buildings in London   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Lots of cleverly done displays   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Some unusual critters to be seen.   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
The annual Christmas extravaganza   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
  reece / Atlas Obscura User
  reece / Atlas Obscura User
  reece / Atlas Obscura User
  reece / Atlas Obscura User
  anselmoportes / Atlas Obscura User
  anselmoportes / Atlas Obscura User
  anselmoportes / Atlas Obscura User
  anselmoportes / Atlas Obscura User
  anselmoportes / Atlas Obscura User
“Hope” the whale.   loremipsum / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Natural History Museum of Londo   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
A ferocious Tasmanian devil taxidermy specimen.   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Realistic recreation of an extinct dodo   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Brazilian three banded armadillo taxidermy   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Taxidermy specimen of an extinct Carolina parakeet   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Hornbill beak , part of the avian evolution display   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Koala and tree kangaroo   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
Snake in the spirit collection   Monsieur Mictlan / Atlas Obscura User
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Established in 1881, the Natural History Museum of London has an impressive 70 million specimens in its stately walls.

Based on the collection of Sir Hans Sloane, the museum now includes such star wonders as Archie the Giant Squid who resides in the Darwin Centre Spirit Collection of jarred specimens (Archie can't be in the main museum as its weight would cause it to crash through the floor), as well as a cursed amethyst and a piece of Kryptonite. Some of the specimens were even collected by Charles Darwin himself, a statue of whom sits in the main hall near a replica of a Diplodocus donated by Andrew Carnegie. 

The building was constructed with terracotta tiles in order to resist the soot in the air of Victorian London, with the west wing and the east wing are adorned with images of living and extinct species, respectively. However, you may note a coelacanth in the extinct animals wing, as it was of course only recently that ancient fish was revealed to still be living on our planet. 

In 2015 it was controversially announced that the popular diplodocus skeleton in the main hall (it can be seen in one of the photos) would be removed on the grounds that it was not a genuine skeleton. This resulted in a well supported "save Dippy" campaign, but the decision stands to give pride of place to the real skeleton of a blue whale. 

As such, in 2017, a blue whale skeleton was hung from the ceiling. The sea creature, which had been injured by whalers, was found beached in Ireland in 1891.

The museum is also a fully functional laboratory, with more than 300 scientists working in a variety of fields related to biology & geology. Taking a behind the scenes tour or visiting the newly renovated Darwin Centre Cocoon you can see them at work. The building also contains a massive research archive, library, and operational labs.

Related Tags

Museums Natural History Museums Museums And Collections Natural History Dodos Extinct Animals

Know Before You Go

The Queen's Gate entrance is best for visiting Dinosaurs, and the Exhibition Road entrance is best for Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Volcanoes and Earthquakes.

The Natural History Museum organizes "Lates" with talks/lectures, exhibitions, and visitors being able to visit the galleries after dark, making for an atmospheric experience.

Community Contributors

Added By

Allison

Edited By

Annetta Black, Dr Alan P Newman, SEANETTA, cecilia marie...

  • Annetta Black
  • Dr Alan P Newman
  • SEANETTA
  • cecilia marie
  • Monsieur Mictlan
  • anselmoportes
  • ariadnemaze
  • Pengwn
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250
  • petrahudson
  • missingfilm
  • reece
  • shylary
  • Xavixavir
  • loremipsum

Published

September 2, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Natural History Museum of London
Cromwell Road
London, England, SW7 2DD
United Kingdom
51.496628, -0.176534
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Chi-Chi the Giant Panda

London, England

miles away

Alfred Russel Wallace Statue

London, England

miles away

Tower of London Barbary Lion Skulls

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Nearby Places

Chi-Chi the Giant Panda

London, England

miles away

Alfred Russel Wallace Statue

London, England

miles away

Tower of London Barbary Lion Skulls

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Related Stories and Lists

6 Cursed Objects, and the Legends Behind Them

paintings

By April White

What Can a Long-Forgotten Moth Tell Us About Climate Change?

objects of intrigue

By Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing

10 Wondrous, Waterless Whales

List

By Jessica Leigh Hester

In London, Natural History Museums Confront Their Colonial Histories

natural history museums

By Sabrina Imbler

The Secret London Exhibition for Spies' Eyes Only

museums and collections

By Carianne Whitworth

The Curse of the Stolen Amethyst

museums

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • A Nicobar Tree Shrew in the Grant Museum of Zoology

    London, England

    Grant Museum of Zoology

    The only university zoological museum in London houses extinct animals, bizarre natural history specimens, and a Micrarium of microscopic creatures.

  • Museum für Naturkunde

    Berlin, Germany

    Museum für Naturkunde

    Berlin's natural history museum houses the world's largest mounted dinosaur and the late beloved polar bear Knut.

  • Closeup of the elephant herd.

    New York, New York

    African Elephants Diorama

    This magnificent herd of stampeding elephants has been frozen in time for over a century.

  • A taxidermy hippo.

    Tervuren, Belgium

    Royal Museum for Central Africa Natural History Collections

    A fascinating and enormous collection of natural history exhibits stained by a dark colonial legacy.

  • The museum exterior.

    Colmar, France

    Museum of Natural History and Ethnography

    A charming little museum founded by the designer of the Statue of Liberty.

  • Temnodontosaurus platyodon skull at the Lyme Regis Museum.

    Lyme Regis, England

    Lyme Regis Museum

    A local museum honors the overlooked discoveries of Mary Anning, one of the first professional fossil hunters.

  • Hutchison Hall Specimen Collection.

    Rochester, New York

    Hutchison Hall Specimen Collection

    Antique skeletons and taxidermy creatures were found crammed in a university closet.

  • One of the museum’s dioramas of animals staged in their natural habitats.

    Birchington-on-Sea, England

    Powell-Cotton Dioramas

    An English explorer's vast natural history collection has the first realistic dioramas of animals staged in their natural habitats.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.