Natural History Museum, London
Home » Travel »It’s day 2 of #MuseumWeek and today I’m sharing at trip my son and I took way back in 2005 to one of our favourite museums ever – The Natural History Museum in London! (You can read all of my other #MuseumWeek posts here!)
We’ve been to this museum lots of times over the years, I remember going there when I was a little girl and the reason I’m sharing this particular visit from 2005 is because it was the first time I’d taken Liam up to London on my own as a single mum. I was very proud of that day and we had such a fun time!
The origins of the Natural History Museum go back to 1753, when Sir Hans Sloane left his extensive collection of curiosities to the nation. Originally this was housed in the newly-formed British Museum but by 1860 Sir Richard Owen (right), who was in charge of the natural history collection, had persuaded the Government that a new building was needed.
The chosen site in South Kensington was previously occupied by the 1862 International Exhibition building, once described as ‘one of the ugliest buildings ever raised in England’. Ironically, its architect, Captain Francis Fowke, won the competition to design the new Natural History Museum.
However, in 1865 Fowke died suddenly, and a relatively unknown young architect was brought in to complete the project. Alfred Waterhouse created a new design, changing the style from Renaissance to German Romanesque. The beautiful Waterhouse Building opened to the public on 18 April 1881.
The photos of course are really quite rubbish, but I treasure them as I always remember the day we went to the Natural History Museum together. We do actually plan on going back up there in the coming months and I’ll do another post about it then!
The nearest tube station to the Natural History Museum is in South Kensington, on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. We get the District line all the way there – it’s a long old ride, but it’s part of the day out!
Here is the boy at just 6 years old, all excited to be going on the tube! It looks like he is floating which is hilarious – his trousers really blend in with the concrete floor!! We’d only gone a couple of stops before he decided he was less than impressed with the long journey!
When you get off the tube at South Kensington it’s a short walk to the museum. This stop also services the Science Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum.
Entry to the Natural History Museum is FREE! Some exhibitions have a charge, but believe me there is TONS to see! It is open every day from 10am to 5.50pm (last entry at 5.30pm). Always check the website for the most up to date information.
When my son was younger he LOVED dinosaurs, and this museum is full of these prehistoric fossils. The iconic one being Dippy, the 26 metre cast of a diplodocus. The first picture in the post is of Liam in front of it – like I said, rubbish photos!
Some parts of the museum are dark, and can be scary for young children – especially the animatronic T-Rex! Be cautious with littluns! Liam loved it though and roared right back!!
With more than 70 million specimens, ranging from microscopic slides to mammoth skeletons, the Museum is home to the largest and most important natural history collection in the world.
I remember him telling me all about the various different types of dinosaurs, and love that some exhibits are hands on. Makes for a wonderful experience.
I remember as a child the room with the huge life size model of a blue whale and being awed by it. As an adult I still feel the same! There are other sealife creatures suspended from the ceiling in the Blue Zone, as well as models of so many other creatures from the smallest to the largest. You can view from below and above and it does get crowded in this part of the museum.
There is a gallery full of taxidermy. If I remember rightly, there was a sign up saying that these are old specimens. Like I said, it’s been a few years, and just looking through the Natural History Museum website has got me very excited to go and have a wander around again very soon.
The museum is split into zones – blue, green, red and orange, and there is so much to see that I can’t possibly do it justice from memory. I remember rooms with gemstones, and seashells and stuffed birds and sea creatures. I remember going up the stairs in the grand entrance and us looking at the piece of a giant sequoia which is over 1300 years old!
There are gift shops (hence Liam clutching a T-Rex model – which he still has!) and activities to do. Places to get a bit to eat (although, we took our own packed lunch) and is really a fantastic day out.
I personally don’t think you could see everything in this museum in one day – a few trips are required to fully appreciate everything. I know we’ve been there maybe a dozen or so times over the decades(!!) and I still see new things! But it’s the famous fossils that keep us going back, because they are just marvellous to look at and unbelievable at the same time. It’s a fantastic family day out – even more so if your children (or indeed you!) are into dinosaurs and natural history!
Have you ever been to the Natural History Museum?
What is your favourite things to see and do when visiting?
Michelle Ashmore
March 28, 2014 @ 10:37 am
I’ve never been to London but I’d love to do the whole tourist thing with the kids one day :)
Agata Pokutycka
March 27, 2014 @ 4:40 pm
Oh yes, we’ve been there many times and love it all… there is not a room in this place we would skip
Kara
March 26, 2014 @ 3:27 pm
Isaac is desperate to go here – we were in london last weekend and had time to spare but got really frustrated as there is no where to park. We will have to come up by train next time
fritha strickland
March 26, 2014 @ 3:05 pm
oh looks like you had a fantastic time! We also went to the Natural History Museum the other day (you can see here if you fancy it! http://www.tigerlillyquinn.com/2014/03/our-weekend-in-pictures_22.html ) although it was so busy we didn’t really get to see much of anything to be honest! I’m quite jealous of the amount of dino’s you go to see! x
Helen Wills
March 25, 2014 @ 11:11 pm
The Natural History Museum is a must for any dinosaur fan. We’ve been a couple of times but there is still so much we haven’t seen!
Nell@PigeonPairandMe
March 25, 2014 @ 10:47 pm
The Natural History Museum is a wonderful place – and it’s absolutely marvellous that it’s free. We really go back there so that Austin can see the dinosaurs. When we last went with him he was tiny, and he’d appreciate it so much more now.
Wild & Grizzly
March 25, 2014 @ 9:07 pm
We LOVE the Natural History Museum and took F there for the first time last year. He was totally awe struck by the dinosaurs. x
You Baby Me Mummy
March 25, 2014 @ 9:00 pm
I must admit I am not much of a museum fan, but this looks quite good. Your son looks like he had lots of fun x
Emma Smith
March 25, 2014 @ 8:46 pm
We love the Natural History Museum too and quite agree that there’s more than can be taken in, in a day. I think we spot new things every time we go!
Manneskjur
March 25, 2014 @ 6:40 pm
Magical – I’ve not been for years – I think Kitty and Ozzy would love it!
Jen Walshaw
March 25, 2014 @ 7:25 pm
My boys love the Natural history museum and your pictures are fab
Cass@TheDiaryofaFrugalFamily
March 25, 2014 @ 6:02 pm
We love the Natural History museum and always do half a day there and another half at the Science museum next door x x
Kirsty Phillipson-Lowe
March 25, 2014 @ 5:10 pm
We loved the Natural History museum when we took Joseph, it was a great day out :-)
Mummy Glitzer
March 25, 2014 @ 3:46 pm
We are hoping to go to London for a long weekend over the Summer and plan to take dino obsessed son there! x
mummyoftwo
March 25, 2014 @ 12:51 pm
We have been talking about taking our children here sometime soon and your photos make me want to go even more! It looks amazing!
Halal Mama
March 25, 2014 @ 12:35 pm
I loved the Natural History Museum! Took my family there when they came from Poland to visit us and will definitely take my boy when he’s big enough :)
Twinsplustwo
March 25, 2014 @ 12:12 pm
We love it there too – especially the huge T Rex simulation!
sonya
March 25, 2014 @ 11:52 am
I love the Natural History Museum,and have had great days out there with my older two- looking forward to Syd being old enough to go now!