Europe
United Kingdom (UK)
England
London
Things to do in London
Natural History Museum
See all things to do

Natural History Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Natural History Museum
4.5
#19 of 2,703 things to do in London
Natural History MuseumsHistory Museums
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
Write a review
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.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Natural History Museum
See all
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Kensington and Hyde Park
How to get there
  • Gloucester Road • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
7,800 within 3 miles
K Bar
268
0.3 mi££ - £££ • Bar • Contemporary • Wine Bar
Khan's of Kensington
2,004
0.2 mi££ - £££ • Indian • Asian • Healthy
CERU
1,134
0.2 mi££ - £££ • Mediterranean • Fusion • Healthy
Town House
828
0.3 mi££ - £££ • International • British • Vegetarian Friendly
Bella Italia South Kensington
1,159
0.2 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Pizza • Mediterranean
Pappa Roma
674
0.2 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Pizza • Mediterranean
Pizzetta Pizza
270
0.2 mi£ • Italian • Pizza • Fast food
Scoff And Banter Kensington
985
0.3 mi££ - £££ • European • British • Vegetarian Friendly
Verdi - Italian Kitchen
1,758
0.3 mi££ - £££ • Italian • Pizza • Sicilian
Ognisko Restaurant
849
0.2 mi££ - £££ • Polish • Vegetarian Friendly • Gluten Free Options
See all
Attractions
2,232 within 6 miles
Science Museum
9,375
331 ftScience Museums
V&A - Victoria and Albert Museum
32,771
0.2 miArt Museums
Forty Five Kensington
11
522 ftCasinos
Zuleika Gallery
2
0.1 miArt Galleries
Albert Memorial
770
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
The Clockmakers' Museum
22
0.1 miSpeciality Museums
Dana Centre
3
0.1 miScience Museums
65 Queen's Gate, Baden-Powell House
52
0.1 miSpeciality Museums
South Kensington
370
0.2 miNeighbourhoods
Skates & Ladders
226
0.4 miSports Camps & Clinics
See all
See what travellers are saying
  • James M
    Woking, United Kingdom402 contributions
    Always magical and interesting
    This place always has something new it seems. A real national treasure. So much to see ; as we were with quite young kids we focussed on the dinosaurs and mammals. We spent a good 2 hours and you can easily spend an entire day or more here. The animated T-Rex (with santa hat) is amazing ...even the eyelids move ... the earth quake scenario is also very realistic. Please make a donation - it's free to enter but it is worth a lot more
    Visited December 2022
    Written 7 December 2022
  • Quebec98
    Basel, Switzerland67 contributions
    Wildlife Photographer of the Year - great exhibition
    Went in there to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition and can only recommend. Luckily I was in there first thing at 10h, so it was quite quiet and there weren't too many people in the exhibition. Afterwards I went to see also the permanent exhibition and didn't get disappointed - only a bit lost as it is huge and so many things to see. But there is always somebody from the staff around to help.
    Visited December 2022
    Written 13 December 2022
  • kooifei
    414 contributions
    A must visit for London!
    A must visit for London! The building itself is quite magnificent, and the museum has a large collection of dinosaurs, animals, insects, and even plants! The main hall itself will wow you upon entering. There is food within the museum - I visited the TRex restaurant which provides table service after you order at the counter. A much needed respite from all the walking in the museum!
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 December 2022
  • Abigail S
    30 contributions
    Well-organized and varied exhibits
    This was such a wonderful museum! I really enjoyed the organization of the exhibits and it was free (!!) It was so wild to be able to visit such a great museum for free. They do have an area to tap your credit card to donate, which I recommend so that this museum can be around forever. We were fortunate to be visiting the museum when they had dippy (the dinosaur) on display. There was so much information on the history of dinosaurs and all the fossils were amazing. I was also really impressed with their gem and mineral exhibit. It was so incredibly well organized and the display was set up well.
    Visited December 2022
    Written 14 December 2022
  • Dave11GF
    Darlington, United Kingdom66 contributions
    Brilliant experience
    Brilliant experience, so much to see. Our first visit at the weekend was a bit busy and had to queue for the dinosaurs, but other exhibits were fine but Monday at 10am was almost deserted. My Grandson’s face when he walked through the door and saw the whale says it all! The quality of the exhibits is very good and I think it would be possible to spend several days there without getting bored.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 14 December 2022
  • Nancy K
    2 contributions
    Amazing
    Me n my husband went to eat something From the Kitchen which is inside the history museum and david one of their member helped us enormously and we just wanna say thanks a lot David from the kitchen from me n my husband . You are so kind and lovely and made us feel so comfortable and happy. Grace joy
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 December 2022
  • ConorFi
    Cork, Ireland600 contributions
    The Building and its exhibits are amazing
    Visited the museum with family and we really enjoyed our experience. Before going Dippy was the main exhibit we wanted to see but we were all mesmerised by the amazing building itself. Dippy and all the other exhibits were wonderful to see.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 December 2022
  • Kiara
    Rome, Italy13 contributions
    This museum is incredible!
    I can't believe I've never visited it. Plus, it's FREE. I went on a Monday at 2pm, it wasn’t too crowded. I didn’t book online and I didn’t wait It is perfect for children, but also for adults! I loved it and will definitely go back next time I'm in London, also because this time I was in a hurry. I entered from the side entrance, so as soon as I entered I found this huge escalator that was really fascinating. What amazed me was the "Kobe Supermarket" where the disastrous Kobe earthquake that my family experienced was simulated. (January 17, 1995)
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with friends
    Written 20 December 2022
  • Kaulostar
    Greater London, United Kingdom892 contributions
    excellent
    What a fantastic museum - the collection is amazing, the layout engaging and the building is very well kept. The museum is free but I booked online to avoid queuing as I wanted to see Dippy before it went on tour again. Enjoyed seeing the T-rex with his Xmas jumper and Santa hat plan ahead for holiday seasons as the museum does get quite busy
    Visited December 2022
    Written 21 December 2022
  • Pranay Kumar
    1 contribution
    A historical wonderland.
    The Natural History Museum is a must-see when visiting London. I had the experience of a lifetime. It is a treasure trove of history. It has a large collection of dinosaurs, humans, animals, and insects. I witnessed the history of the existence of humans and animals. I also got to visit the massive sculptures of dinosaurs that were made up of real fossils and the real skulls of human evolution. It also has an earthquake room, where I got to experience a real earthquake. It has so many things that amaze me, and I don’t think any other museum has them. I recommend this place to every history lover out there.
    Visited December 2022
    Written 22 December 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
37,903 reviews
Excellent
25,073
Very good
8,881
Average
2,906
Poor
724
Terrible
321
hankypanky505
Albuquerque, NM480 contributions
Fantastic Museum
Nov 2023 • Couples
Okay, this place is AWESOME. I dragged my wife in here and she actually enjoyed it more than I did. It’s a really beautiful building with amazing exhibits and a very nice cafe to boot. So, we walked around for a few hours and then had carrot cake and hot tea in the cafe. Wonderful day. I would say this is a must do while in London.
Written 4 December 2023
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.
Lewis P
Sheerness, UK6 contributions
My experience
Jan 2023 • Family
I went to go and see the Dippy exhibition and was not disappointed, seeing an old friend after a long while of not seeing it was a exhilarating experience.
the main museum is equally amazing as i have went every single year to see the prehistoric displays.
10/10 would climb on the whales
Written 4 December 2023
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.
Jacob S
2 contributions
Grat
Nov 2023 • Friends
It was great. So many special things. My favourite part was the birds. But to be honest, everything was nice. Please spare 3h plus to enjoy the whole experience.
Written 1 December 2023
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.
Carl P
2 contributions
Who even like bones?
Nov 2023 • Business
Went for a work trip. Would much rather have gone to the Harry Potter Movie experience, but work insisted this would be better. Which is so stupid because not everybody likes bones
Written 30 November 2023
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.
cheryl w
St Agnes, UK4 contributions
Very worth while a visit
Nov 2023 • Couples
Very interesting plenty to see easy to get to and very friendly people guiding you in. There is a part you have to for but it was so expensive we didn't bother but the rest of it was fantastic
Written 25 November 2023
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.
Kirsten n
Copenhagen, Denmark3 contributions
too many people ruined the experience
Nov 2023 • Family
The museum in it self is easily 5 stars! But the whole experience is really disappointing.
They encourage you to book a time slot for entering, but they let everybody in. There were SO many people that you can’t walk anywhere without bumping in to someone.
I love a free museum but would gladly pay if that meant there would be fewer people.
we visited on a monday morning. i can’t imagine what it would be like in the weekend.
but if you have lots of time and patience it’s an amazing place!
Written 21 November 2023
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.
C7677
uk191 contributions
Patagotitan
Nov 2023 • Family
First visit for a long time to see the Titanasaur exhibition. Not the best signed exhibition had to ask to find out where it was. However, once there it was very well laid out, the displays before seeing the main exhibit were highly informative and interactive. You suddenly come into the central part and see the enormous skeleton, I especially liked the little fact boxes in the floor. Sadly did not have much time after the exhibition but will be back a lot sooner.
Written 20 November 2023
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.
Tom
Gloucester, UK425 contributions
A great couple of hours
Nov 2023 • Couples
As always when we visit London we visit the Natural History Museum and we always enjoy. No matter how many times you go it still takes you back. Fantastic.
Written 20 November 2023
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.
Omnia
London, UK8 contributions
Mesmerizing journey through time.
Dec 2022 • Solo
London’s Natural History Museum offers a fascinating exploration through time. A must-visit for nature enthusiasts.
Written 19 November 2023
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.
Gary D
5 contributions
An Awesome Place that needs so TLC
Apr 2023 • Family
Still an amazing and iconic facility. It is beyond overwhelming and would tak days to see in it's entirety. My only criticism is that it looks like the maintenacne and cleanming have been neglected for quite some time. There is a lot of work required to clean it up and restore the aging displays and signage etc.
Written 17 November 2023
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.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 23,548
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Natural History Museum
Restaurants near Natural History Museum: View all restaurants near Natural History Museum on Tripadvisor