Natural History Museum

Meet a terrifying T-rex, unearth Baryonyx bones and inspect the Triceratops skeleton in our world-renowned Dinosaurs gallery. Sort the facts from the myths about why dinosaurs died out and delve into our research and discoveries about these prehistoric giants.

Suitable for

• Any age

Travel through the Cocoon experience deep into the heart of the collections to glimpse the working life of our scientists. See the previously hidden world of scientific research through viewing decks, video, intercom and more than 40 high-tech installations and hands-on interactive activities. Visitors will be able to interact with learning activators stationed throughout Cocoon and discover more about scientific techniques used in labs at Science Focus activity points near the viewing decks

Suitable for

• Any age

Highlights include a collection of 296 naturally coloured diamonds known as the Aurora Pyramid of Hope, Medusa, a giant, one-of-a-kind emerald from Zambia, and Tissint, a Martian meteorite that landed in Morocco last year

Suitable for

• Any age

Become a scientist in our hands-on education space where you can examine hundreds of real natural history specimens.

Suitable for

• Any age

See 22 of the most valuable and significant items in the Museum’s collection. This cabinet of curiosities includes unique, famous and surprising specimens from the worlds of botany, mineralogy, zoology and palaeontology. Highlights include Charles Darwin’s pigeons, which provided him with the crucial evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection, and the skull of a Barbary lion, which is thought to have lived in the Tower of London around 1280–1385

Suitable for

• Any age

Indulge your passion for natural history, botanical illustration and scientific investigation. This permanent gallery showcases highlights from the Museum’s extensive collection of prints, watercolours and oil paintings, alongside intriguing scientific images. The art of India is the theme for this year’s temporary exhibition, which showcases Indian botanical and zoological watercolours commissioned by those working for the British East India Company during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also on display is a modern response to this work by contemporary Indian artist Sunoj D

Suitable for

• Any age

Enter the amazing world of some of the largest creatures to ever walk the earth. See huge fossils and life-size models of mammoths, and square up to the powerful trunks and tusks of these great beasts.

You’ll even be able to try out life as a mammoth: tusk jousting, trunk moving and feeling the weight of the hundreds of kilogrammes of food a mammoth ate each day – equivalent to about 230 bags of sugar.

The exhibition will take you on an inspiring journey from the time when these titans roamed the land through to today’s research into the causes of mammoth extinction and ways to protect their precious modern relatives, the elephants

Suitable for

• Any age

Admission

£5.40-£10 (family ticket £25-£28, free for children under four)

Celebrating its milestone fiftieth year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition combines the extraordinary work of talented professionals and gifted amateur photographers from around the globe.

Their photographs showcase the beauty, magnificence and diversity of life on our planet, while also highlighting its fragility and the role photography can play in preserving it.

Suitable for

• Family friendly

Admission

Adult £12.60, child and concession £6.30, family £34.45

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy

Join us for an evening with award-winning photographer Anup Shah as he shares his passion for studying animal behaviour.

Anup will offer unparalleled insight into the lives of the Gombe Stream National Park chimps, which were made famous by the pioneering primatologist Dr Jane Goodall.

Explore Anup’s diverse portfolio before embarking on an epic photographic journey through the primate world. Anup will reveal his craft, as well as the convoluted plots, family alliances, ferocious ambition, politics, puzzles and surprises that have made this chimpanzee group world famous.

A question and answer session will follow his talk.

Signed copies of Anup’s book Tales from Gombe will be on sale on the night.

The evening will also include:

- a free viewing of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition
- a complimentary drink from the bar
- the opportunity to buy signed copies of Anup’s book Tales from Gombe
- the chance to meet Anup after the event

Suitable for

Admission

Tickets £45, Members £40.50.
Please book online.

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/masterclass%3A_primate_photography_with_anup_shah.html

One hundred and fifty million years is a long time to hold on to your secrets.

Join our panel to find out how scientists can reconstruct entire prehistoric animals from fossilised bones, and what techniques modern-day palaeontologists use to bring the past to life.

Stegosaurus has captured the public imagination since the first fossilised stegosaur skeleton was discovered in Colorado, USA, in the second half of the 19th century.

The Museum’s new skeleton represents one of the most complete specimens ever found. Our researchers are studying the fossilised remains to discover more about this mysterious creature.

See how well you really know our new Stegosaurus and learn how to answer fundamental questions about dinosaurs, from how they evolved, to how they moved around the Mesozoic landscape.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Tickets £15 / Members £13.50

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/secrets_of_the_stegosaur.html

Become a crime scene investigator for the night and work with our Museum forensic experts to solve a murder mystery. Gather and analyse evidence to establish when, where and how the victim died.

After your investigation, you'll go to a court case held by London barristers who will cross-examine our experts and call everything into question.

This interactive night at the Museum combines real science and crime fiction.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Price: £60, Members £54
Ticket price includes a free drink on arrival

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/crime_scene_live_-_after_hours_event.html

This Valentine’s Day themed night has two tours for people to choose from, The Romance Tour and The Passion Tour.

On The Romance Tour attendees can learn about ingenious dating rituals of the insect world – from drugging to stabbing, underwater love with our Curator of Fish James Maclaine (attached image), and the explosive sex lives and incestuous inclinations of bees.

On The Passion Tour there will be an exploration of the earliest evidence of sex on Earth, insect attraction from perfume, presents and love songs and mollusc mating, from the weird and wondrous mating habits of snails, seashells and squid.

Doors open at 6.30pm and the event finishes at 10pm for over 18s only. The ticket price includes a complimentary drink in Hintze Hall before the safari starts. It’s a great opportunity to view the museum at night.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Tickets £40 / £36 for members

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/night_safari%3A_love_in_the_natural_world.html

In a world of photo filters and digital manipulation, how can we spot real skill?

Image editing can enhance a stunning shot but may also be misleading.

Our expert panel discusses the value of technological developments and how best to keep traditional camera skills alive in a digital age.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Tickets £20 / Members £18.00

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/the_bigger_picture%3A_faking_it.html

Enjoy an evening exploring Alex Mustard’s exquisite work. A six-time award winner at Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Alex has an impressive portfolio to share. He will offer unique insights into the techniques and approaches he uses, with an opportunity for audience questions.

Alex’s dynamic underwater photography showcases the extraordinary biodiversity of our oceans. From tiny fluorescent krill to impressive sharks and seals, Alex’s stunning images capture the vibrant colours and incredible species of our seas.

Journey through Alex’s six award-winning images and the expedition stories surrounding them. Learn how he has honed his skills to combine artistry with technical accomplishment and pioneering approaches, while also championing marine biodiversity conservation.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Tickets £45 / Members £40.50

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/masterclass%3A_understanding_underwater_photography_with_alex_mustard.html

In celebration of Mother’s Day, we’re hosting an exclusive evening to explore the trials, tribulations and wonders of parenting in the natural world.

Enjoy a complimentary drink in Hintze Hall before starting your safari. Hear from three Museum scientists and take a closer look at some of our best behind-the-scenes specimens. Choose from the Chrysalis Tour or the Nymph Tour. Please visit the website for further information.

Suitable for

• Not suitable for children

Admission

Tickets per tour: £40 / Members £36

Website

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/events/programs/nhm/night_safari%3A_maternal_instincts.html