Dinosaurs, Whales, and the Human Body all for FREE!!!
Written: Jul 04 '05 (Updated Jul 04 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: FREE, Lots to see, mammals room, dinosaurs, family-friendly, dining options
Cons: A couple exhibits are a little dated
The Bottom Line: This is a great museum for kids or adults.
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| chelledun's Full Review: Natural History Museum (London) |
General Information
The Natural History Museum in London is very convenient to visit. It can be accessed by taking the tube to South Kensington Station using the Piccadilly line. From there, a convenient subway is provided under ground so there will be no need to go outside on a rainy day. Like so many of London’s other wonderful museums this one is FREE! There were many, many families having an outing the Sunday I visited and I thought it was so nice that they were able to enjoy a day at the museum for only the cost of transportation to visit.
The museum is divided into two sections, The Life Galleries and The Earth Galleries, each with a separate entrance. I recommend starting your day in the life section because some of the exhibits there become crowded quickly. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. except for Sunday, when the museum opens at 11:00 a.m. I was able to tour most of the museum in about four hours but one could easily spend a whole day here, reading all the descriptions and enjoying all the interactive exhibits.
Life Galleries - The biggest part of the museum is in this area. Be sure to check out the beautiful Central Hall in the center of the galleries with its huge diplodocus skeleton. This is also the official meeting place if someone in your party gets lost. In the life section, the focus is on life on our planet and all the creatures who live and have lived in the past. This was definitely the more crowded of the two galleries when I visited. The following are the exhibits I was able to enjoy in the Life Galleries.
Dinosaurs - Do as I did and visit this section first, because it does get very crowded. We ended up waiting in a line (probably about fifteen minutes) to view the highlight, a new animatronic T-Rex which moves and snorts realistically. The dinosaur was cool but I don’t think I would have waited much longer to see one dinosaur. There is plenty else to see in this exhibit. The bottom floor features dozens of huge skeletons and I enjoy looking at the scale drawings that show how large the creature would seem standing next to a human. Interactive exhibits allow plenty for kids to touch and pull and focus on dinosaur habitat, physical features, and walking techniques. I enjoyed the segment dealing with dinosaurs in popular culture including a film featuring movie clips about dinosaurs. Everything from Jurassic Park to the Flinstone’s was included.
Mammals - Just to warn, the mammal exhibit (and most of the other animal displays) does feature preserved animal specimens. Generally I am not a fan of this kind of display, as at the Field Museum which features walls and walls of glassed-in animals. However, for some reason the Natural History Museum seems to create displays in a way that seems less gratuitous and more educational with lots of information about each animal and hands on exhibits. I would still prefer if all animals were fake (like the huge blue whale suspended over the hall) but I wasn’t bothered as much as I normally am by this type of exhibit. The Mammals section will funnel visitors through a series of displays on all different types of mammals, some of which are extinct. The segments on marine mammals are particularly good, with many interesting displays on how dolphins and whales swim. You can also listen in on African Elephant conversations or measure your weight against some of the largest animals on earth. I for one am about 1/5 the weight of a polar bear.
It is really amazing to see all the animals in the same place to see just how huge a blue whale is compared with even the largest land mammals. There are giant skeletons of several types of whales suspended above the hall and I am just amazed that such huge creatures are still swimming around in the oceans.
Human Biology - This was not really my favorite of the museum’s offerings. I found the overall look to be dated and many of the interactive exhibits weren’t working very well. There are sections focusing on a baby’s development and childbirth, child development, sexual organs, visual perception, dreams, and a variety of other topics. There is a giant eight food replica of a baby in a womb that really freaked me out. Probably the most interesting to me were the displays with optical illusions. This was one of the least crowded areas of the museum, though, so it might be a good place to go if everything else is busy. Parents should be aware that this exhibit speaks very frankly, (though tastefully) about sexual reproduction.
Creepy Crawlies - This is a room dedicated to our friends the bugs. You can see an animatronic scorpion hissing and moving his tale or learn about the difference between a centipede and a millipede. Especially creepy is the model house which shows where bugs might be found in common household products and whether they are good, bad, or neutral to humans. I found myself really wanting to wash my hands after viewing this one! Some of the exhibits are kind of gross (such as the discussion of fly dung) but kids really seemed to love this area of the museum. There are very few real bugs in the gallery, so if you are insect-phobic you shouldn’t have to worry about that.
Ecology - This psychadelic gallery deals with the connections in the ‘web of life’ between people, plants, and animals. Visitors walk through a series of screens and neon lights to different displays. The gallery was very empty and peaceful when I visited. Some of the exhibits are quite graphic, such as the series of scenes where a rabbit dies and decays while being eaten by scavengers. There is a focus on recycling and avoiding wastefulness to this exhibit. Although the gallery is large there are not really that many exhibits crammed in as some of the others so it will not take you too long to walk through here.
Other Life Galleries - The mammal area seems to be the biggie, but other varieties of life are not neglected. You can check out specimens of Marine Invertebrates or Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds, or Primates. Again, these areas have a mixture of ‘stuffed’ animals and skeletons along with educational displays. A person interested in the subject could spend a long time among these animal exhibits.
Earth Galleries - I didn’t spend nearly as much time in these galleries since I am more interested in animals and dinosaurs. However, the earth section is still well down and worth a look. Visions of Earth is a little bit melodramatic with its lighting and series of sculptures. The star of this exhibit is a piece of moon rock from the Apollo 16 mission. A variety of other specimens are on display as well.
Earth Today and Tomorrow is another exhibit with a conservation theme. There is information on energy, recycling, and creating a balance between humans and nature. The Earth’s Treasury offers a huge collection of rocks and minerals, some of which are in huge chunks.
I would like to go back to the museum because I accidentally missed The Power Within. This area deals with natural disasters, volcanoes and earthquakes in particular. Information is available at http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/galleries/earth-galleries/the-power-within/index.html. I’m not sure how I missed this but it looks really neat.
Food
I commented several times during my visit how impressed I was with the nice variety of food services available at the museum. There are five dining areas, one of which is the Underground Café and Picnic Area. You can purchase fruit and sandwiches or eat your own lunch from home. Picnicking is also allowed on the museum’s lawn. I think this is just great for large families, free admission and food from home! You can’t beat that.
There are three other cafés with a variety of food as well as a cute coffee bar in the earth galleries. Selections include sandwiches, pastries, coffee drinks, fruit, and sodas. If you want to grab something outside the museum there are a hot dog vendor and ice cream cart along with plenty of picnic tables for a nice day.
Shopping
The History Museum offers some huge museum stores. The Museum Shop offers general souvenirs such as toys, art, t-shirts, and other gifts. I would have LOVED DinoShop when I was a kid because it has dozens of the plastic dinosaur models I collected. Earth Shop focuses primarily on rocks and minerals and kids can get a cheap rock souvenir ranging from stone samples to key chains. Even if you don’t buy anything, the stores are all beautiful and fun to browse.
Overall...
Of all the free museums I have visited, the Natural History Museum was the one I am most surprised is free. The museum is impressive and elaborate, and must require a lot of update. It was generally very modern and would be a great place to take children. I loved this museum and look forward to going back to look at the things I missed on this trip.
*Planning a trip? Here's some other London Stuff!
British Museum
National Potrait Gallery
Yummy, cheap food at Pret a Manger
Observations from my first week in London
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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