Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:50 PM
About
A center of scientific excellence in the discovery of taxonomy and biodiversity, this world-famous museum promotes the discovery and enjoyment of the natural world through such exciting exhibits as the Life and Earth Galleries, wildlife garden and geological collections.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Kensington and Hyde Park
How to get there
- Gloucester Road • 6 min walk
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Best nearby
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Restaurants
8,154 within 3 miles
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2,251 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- ITProcessMonkeyArlington, Virginia12 contributionsVast, Impressive and Overwhelming - from the entrance walk through the architecture and each and every detailed exhibit.Wonderful. Overwhelming! I spent a very quick 2.5 hrs there and barely made it past the massive jewel and mineral displays! I confess to being a bit spoiled as we live a stone’s throw from the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, but from the entrance onward, London’s NHM holds its own and more. Plan to on my next visit!Visited February 2023Travelled soloWritten 23 March 2023
- Julz862Aberdeen, United Kingdom90 contributionsStill a brilliant museum but too crowded for meFirst visit to the museum since 2015. My son is 13 now and still loved it. Plenty to keep us both interested and the staff were friendly and helpful. Only downside is how crowded it was. It made it difficult to see the exhibits. Kids having meltdowns everywhere. Not sure if it’s a post covid thing but I don’t like that level of busy anymore.Visited March 2023Travelled with familyWritten 26 March 2023
- jpcheshire1615Wilmslow, United Kingdom495 contributionsHuge museum; book in advanceThere is so much to see in the Natural History Museum! We spent several hours there and only saw a fraction of the exhibits. It was a Saturday morning and there were a lot of families as well as visitors from all over the world but there is room for everyone to see something they will like. We found the fossilised sea creatures particularly fascinating, perhaps because we did not previously know much about them. The displays are well presented and explanations are clear and easy to read. One tip we were given and would like to share: book tickets online in advance. Entry as free if you book in advance or at the entrance to the museum but if you reserve beforehand you will not have to queue up to get in, and the queues can be very long.Visited March 2023Written 27 March 2023
- Richard S5 contributionsDinsoaurs! Roar!It looks like a great place. I've been a few times but we never get further than the dinosaur skeletons. My cousin just stomps around and makes roaring sounds at the skeletons, pretending he's a big scary dinosaur like them. I've always worried they'll kick us out but they've always been really good about it all. We always avoid the busiest times though.Visited October 2022Written 28 March 2023
- jetalcottGold Coast, Australia548 contributionsSimply Amazing!Where to begin? Where to end? This museum is outstanding. The displays are compelling and fascinating! From dinosaurs to mummy’s to unusual rocks. We could have spent a week there, or a month, or a year and seen only a fraction of the collected items. As a special treat we took a behind-the-scenes tour of Darwin’s Samples. Our small group was led by an experienced guide who showed us specimens from jellyfish to platypus. To see the samples in alcohol was fabulous given the impact that Darwin had on science and life on Earth.Visited March 2023Travelled soloWritten 29 March 2023
- Ice-star79Adelaide, Australia53 contributionsAustralian tourist in LondonAmazing Museum to see we have a 10yr old and 12yr old child and the loved how interactive the museum was with dinosaurs and other animals. The Japanese earth quake was also a hit!! Also can recommend the pizza in the cafe loved it!Visited March 2023Travelled with familyWritten 30 March 2023
- Nichola81Petersfield, United Kingdom24 contributionsExcellent free day out!An amazing free museum! We drove to Richmond, paid to park on someone’s drive and got the tube direct to South Kensington from there - much cheaper than getting the train! Exhibits were excellent and really interesting! The dinosaur display was loved by us all but especially my six year old! The animatronic dinosaurs were a great addition! The whale models / skeletons were really impressive too and there were some hands on exhibits to boot! Didn’t manage to see it all as wanted to squeeze in a few hours at the Science Museum but was very boring in comparison - wish we had stayed here! Will be back! :)Visited April 2023Written 1 April 2023
- to_experience_newSweden1,471 contributionsImpressing - and the Great Hall is fantasticThe Natural History Museum is a magnificent museum with so much to see - for everyone. Of course, the dinosaur skeleton was the highlight for many. Personally, I was actually most impressed by the large hall where the blue whale skeleton hangs. An absolutely beautiful building! I stood for a really long time and just looked at the hall itself, but also all the details. I was "awakened" by a guard who whispered: I cannot see enough of the hall either - it was obvious what I was so fascinated by.Visited August 2022Written 2 April 2023
- Laura C1 contributionOutstanding and informativeI ventured into London from Leicester alone on an adventure to see this museum, after being inspired two weeks ago when I read a fiction book, which was loosely based on the life of Joseph Banks. All I can say is, it exceeded my expectations. Yes it was crowded, but that's to be expected in the school holidays. I was so fascinated by everything, I tuned the other people and the noise out completely. My favourite section was the mammals, closely followed by the birds. The huge display case of hummingbirds was breathtaking, and a definite highlight, as was the cocoon - the entire space was almost empty when I got there, so I was able to see everything and it's fascinating seeing the scientists behind the scenes working. It's a trip I won't forget in a hurry, and I'm glad I did it alone so I didn't have to waste time. Be warned, you need lots of time - I had 5hrs, and I missed out a whole section and barely had 10mins to see the mineral section. The entrance hall is just majestic, pictures can't do it justice.Visited April 2023Travelled soloWritten 4 April 2023
- lilith w6 contributionsTripWent in the morning we got there earlier than anticipated but we were still allowed in before hand so that was good. There was a big line for those who didn’t already book so definitely make sure to book before hand. It’s super close to the underground station so that’s handy and there’s a lot of museums close together so you can’t really get bored. There’s somewhere that will take your bags and coats if you pay, however it does cost £ so if you won’t want to pay make sure your bag is light. In some areas it does get packed but overall because of the size it isn’t too bad. The food is really good for the price and was very quick considering how busy it was. Found it really nice that there was people who worked there going through some extra information and even had fossils we were able to hold. If you want to do it all in one day you definitely need to be there for opening as there just so much to see. They have a really nice gift shop that has Jurassic Park merchandise which were all reasonably priced. The toilets were cleaned. There is plenty of space for wheelchairs when going around as well that was good.Visited March 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 April 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
38,009 reviews
Excellent
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Very good
8,900
Average
2,921
Poor
739
Terrible
331
Ross S
19 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
So much to see didn't get to see everything so I'll be back again soon. So much to learn and it's great for the whole family. I love this museum and come here a lot and would recommend it to anyone
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mylawyer2018
Irving, TX89 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
My wife and I enjoy museums of all types but this one was very disappointing. Other than the main entry hall and the dinosaurs, the rest of the museum was, quite frankly, lame. Most of the taxidermic animals were poorly done, worn and faded. None of the Aussie animals looked anything like their live counterparts I’ve seen in person. Ironically, instead of updating their collection, there was a sign in the mammals section that actually said (paraphrasing), please forgive our stuff. It’s old and poorly maintained. Most of the fish and amphibians were models rather than taxidermic. As a diver, I was appalled at how bad the undersea fauna was. Nothing close to realistic.
Do yourself a favor, skip this one.
Do yourself a favor, skip this one.
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lilith w
6 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Lovely trip out, well worth the time to spend most of the day here, something for everyone. Although the lines can be long and some areas exceptionally busy if you book then it’s okay.
Written 16 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tlv1992
Birmingham, UK31 contributions
Feb 2024 • Family
A bit disappointed that so much was inaccessible/closed during our visit. This wasn't really made clear on the website as we might well have timed our visit differently had we known. The earthquake simulator, the whale hall and the invertebrate exhibit were all out of action. I think we were a bit unlucky as two of those our kids were very excited to see.
Lots of vegan options in all the eateries. Also really tasty options - especially the cakes which is always a bonus.
The map on the back of the kids pack book was fantastic. Made all the different levels and how to get around very clear, and largely gave enough information that we knew what each section would contain. All the lifts and how to navigate them was clear as were the very clean disabled toilet facilities (not true of the science museum which neighbours it). The restaurant was easy to move chairs and pull a wheelchair up too as well. There were lots of staff around in very visible outfits who were always more than happy to help with any questions.
General accessibility had clearly been thought about and catered to as much as possible given the age of the building - even things like the distance between aisles in the gift shop being wide enough for a wheelchair. Could have done with more benches on the way round for resting as sometimes it was quite a walk back on yourself to get to a lift to a different section which would be hard for someone with limited mobility.
It was very busy which made things difficult but we were automatically given priority access when we asked about disabled access upon arrival at opening time.
Overall, one of the better experiences we had in London from an accessibility and disability perspective. The exhibits were fantastic, lots of information but easy to skim and take basic facts from if viewing with kids who don't want in depth info on everything.
Luggage checking facility was easy to use and a complete godsend for us. Would highly recommend if arriving on day of travel or going after checking out of somewhere.
Lots of vegan options in all the eateries. Also really tasty options - especially the cakes which is always a bonus.
The map on the back of the kids pack book was fantastic. Made all the different levels and how to get around very clear, and largely gave enough information that we knew what each section would contain. All the lifts and how to navigate them was clear as were the very clean disabled toilet facilities (not true of the science museum which neighbours it). The restaurant was easy to move chairs and pull a wheelchair up too as well. There were lots of staff around in very visible outfits who were always more than happy to help with any questions.
General accessibility had clearly been thought about and catered to as much as possible given the age of the building - even things like the distance between aisles in the gift shop being wide enough for a wheelchair. Could have done with more benches on the way round for resting as sometimes it was quite a walk back on yourself to get to a lift to a different section which would be hard for someone with limited mobility.
It was very busy which made things difficult but we were automatically given priority access when we asked about disabled access upon arrival at opening time.
Overall, one of the better experiences we had in London from an accessibility and disability perspective. The exhibits were fantastic, lots of information but easy to skim and take basic facts from if viewing with kids who don't want in depth info on everything.
Luggage checking facility was easy to use and a complete godsend for us. Would highly recommend if arriving on day of travel or going after checking out of somewhere.
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John
Kingston upon Thames, UK33 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
Firstly, use the entrance in Cromwell. The entrance to the former Geological Museum in Exhibition Road is still difficult to escape from into the “real” museum. The museum is generally excellent with many wonders. It is let down by its map. For example, it doesn’t clearly show the first floor of Hintze Hall. The web-site isn’t helpful either. There should be an app that you can use to navigate. I would suggest a route that takes you up the stairs past Darwin, into either end of the Treasures Room, noting Guy the Gorilla by one entrance and a moa skeleton at the other. Then walk round the gallery past the meteorites and into the mineral room. There are some amazing objects in the Vault at the far end. Downstairs go round the dinosaur section and read. Finally past the museum shop admire Mary Anning’s plesiosaur. Finally navigate through birds section and into the Red area to see the stegosaurus.
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Knockknockxx
Lasne, Belgium132 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
It's not difficult to imagine Darwin and Wallace walking around discussing the discoveries of the world. The combination of this stunning building, period show cases, and modern presentation. I have a new favorite museum in town.
Written 13 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chastidyi
Seymour, TN357 contributions
Mar 2024 • Business
Walking up to the museum hits hard with the amazing architecture. It’s overwhelmingly gorgeous. There is no cost to go in, but they do request a donation. You get a free guide book with your donation. Inside, the first thing you see is the skeleton of a whale hanging overhead. It was amazing. The dinosaur area was overly crowded, and there were tons of children so we didn’t stay long. The mammal area was the same. The rest of the museum was just moderately busy, and there were so many cool things to see!! I wish we had more time.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
v_racz
Hove, UK33 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Very nice museum. Walked around in about 2 hours. A part of the museum was closed for refurbishment. Was nice to see it once but would not go back again to be honest.
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joe T
Barcelona, Spain1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
The Natural History Museum is a must when visiting London. It is huge. And it exhibits wonderful artefacts. You could easily spend a week in this wonderful museum!
Written 8 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy M
Stafford, UK75 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
not the fault of the museum of course, but its almost to big. the kids were amazed by the dinosaurs and big show piece displays, but rooms and rooms of fossils and animals were not their cup of tea. maybe design a shorter route for the younger visitors that gives the highlights?
Written 7 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
josievangel
Pittsburgh, PA47 contributions
Are you able to leave the museum and come back in? I have a friend who is arriving at a different time and I'll have his ticket. Would I be able to leave to get him and come back in?
Yvonne W
Crawley, UK71 contributions
Yes you can
ShugrGrl55
Orange County, CA2,184 contributions
Can I skip the line at the side entrance, on Exhibition Rd, if I have a pre-booked time slot? Or must I use the main entrance off Cromwell Rd?
Janine S
Coventry, UK145 contributions
I believe you still need to use the main entrance..however there are two queues. One fir pre-booked tickets and another for people without. I hope this helps :) enjoy your time here it’s a great day out!
Joeipotter82
Perth, WA7 contributions
We have tickets to see dippy - can we also see the rest of the museum or do we need separate tickets for that?
Blonde Scottish Piper
83 contributions
Yes you can see the rest of the Museum
seahorse321
Skegness, UK50 contributions
hi we are going to the museum later in the year My husband is in a wheelchair and we wondered how disabled friendly the museum is ?Are there any lifts to all the floors ? Are there disabled toilets ? Are seats provided for elderly ? Thankyou in advance for any answers
sconinck
Brazil65 contributions
It's all very well prepared for the disabled, worry not!
Future KSB
Hyde, UK76 contributions
Does anyone know how long it takes to get around the whole museum?
Neil C
Peterborough, UK26 contributions
This I very much dependant on you. Some areas may be much more interesting than others. We spent 4 hours on site but could have easily done a couple more if it was less crowded
simon h
1 contribution
Do they have a luggage room or bag holding area?
YorkshireShacko
Wakefield, UK196 contributions
Yes they do
BristolWanderlust76
Dublin, Ireland9 contributions
We want to get the tube here and can manage a few steps with the Pram. We are coming on the District Line. How many steps (roughly) are there at South Ken?
therichastill
Stevenage, UK2,719 contributions
Hi,
Probably about 15 to get from the platform to the concourse and about 5 to get to the main exit to street level.
The Natural History is AMAZING and well worth visiting.
Have a great time.
Leigh S
3 contributions
Could anyone recommend somewhere to eat brunch near the tube station before we arrive at the museum (2 adults and 2 children so nothing too pricey if possible)
Thanks
Jonathan Wood
3 contributions
Cross over from the museum onto the French Consulate side of the street (can't miss it, French flags) as though you are going back towards the underground and take a right onto Cromwell Place. Walk a little down the road and you will find cafe's, subs, bakeries etc on the left. Reasonable prices for snacks and coffee. The prices in the museum are not bad either. I think it was £12 for a 12" pizza with a number of cafes to choose from. The T-Rex restaurant is good for the kids. The menu:
STONE-BAKED PIZZA
Margherita 10.00
Tomato sauce, mozzarella, oregano (v)
Aubergine & courgette 12.00
Spiced aubergine, courgette, pine nut, fig, sultanas, cumin
and soy yoghurt dressing (vg)
Pepperoni 12.00
Pepperoni, peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella
Ham & mushroom 12.00
pulled ham hock, mushroom, tomato sauce, mozzarella,
oregano
Prosciutto & Gorganzola 14.00
Prosciutto, Gorganzola, rocket, tomato sauce
SALADS
Caesar Salad 10.00
Cos, croutons, Caesar dressing | Add chicken 4.50
Superfood salad 10.00
Baby spinach, kale, quinoa, pickled beetroot, roasted
butternut squash, edamame, French dressing (vg)
Add chicken 4.50
Feta salad 11.00
Aged feta, olives, tomato, cucumber, red onions, oregano (v)
TOASTED SANDWICHES WITH FRIES
New Yorker 7.95
Sliced turkey, crispy bacon, Gruyere, tomato, iceberg lettuce,
Djion mayonnaise
Italian deli 7.95
Mozzarella, pesto, tomato, baby spinach (v)
Meze wrap 7.95
Falafel, hummus, peppers, cucumber, tomato, rocket (vg)
SIDES
Skin-on-fries (vg) 3.75
Healthy coleslaw (vg) 4.00
Rocket, parmesan (v) 4.00
Green salad; cherry tomatoes, pickled shallots (vg) 4.00
DESSERTS
Salted caramel popcorn cheesecake (v) 5.00
Chocolate molten volcano cake (v) 5.00
Seasonal fruit with yoghurt (v) 4.00
Ice cream sundae (v) 5.00
KIDS MEALS
All served with salad 6.00/8.00*
Margherita Pizza (v)
Pepperoni Pizza
Pollock goujons, fries
Popcorn chicken, fries
Ice cream with chocolate or toffee sauce*
smith
Burton upon Trent, UK27 contributions
How long does it take to go around the museum on average
Brenda_T2782
Leeds, UK31 contributions
We spent about 2hrs going around when it was bust and saw everything we wanted but some people may want to spend a bit longer on some exhibits.
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Claim your listingNATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Natural History Museum
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Natural History Museum:
- Natural History Museum London - Private Guided Museum Tour (From £91.34)
- Kid-Friendly Natural History Museum & Dinosaurs Private Guided Tour in London (From £234.13)
- The Natural History Museum London Guided Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max (From £91.34)
- London Natural History Museum Dinosaur Discovery Family Tour (From £177.95)
- London by Night Sightseeing Tour - Open top bus (From £29.55)
- Hotels near Natural History Museum:
- (0.12 mi) The Exhibitionist Hotel
- (0.15 mi) The Ampersand Hotel
- (0.14 mi) The Pelham London - Starhotels Collezione
- (0.16 mi) Cheval Harrington Court
- (0.16 mi) 130 Queen's Gate
- Restaurants near Natural History Museum:
- (0.01 mi) Deli Cafe - Natural History Museum
- (0.02 mi) T. rex Restaurant
- (0.03 mi) Temple Cuisine
- (0.03 mi) Benugo
- (0.14 mi) Pierino
- Attractions near Natural History Museum:
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- (0.06 mi) Science Museum
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