Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum
4.5
Natural History MuseumsHistory Museums
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:45 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:45 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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Admission tickets
from
$38.16
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Kensington and Hyde Park
How to get there
  • Gloucester Road • 6 min walk
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See what travelers are saying

  • Andrew
    St. Albans, United Kingdom7,304 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Too crowded, too hot
    We visited the Natural History Museum on a inset day hoping the museum would be less busy than at the weekends. We were so wrong – we fought the crowds (and the heat – the building was very warm) for almost an hour before giving up. In addition, almost all of the outside space was out of use due to the redevelopment of the gardens (opening summer 2024) so we ended up walking across the road to the V&A courtyard and having our sandwich lunch there. N.B. Entrance tickets do need to be booked in advance
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written February 16, 2024
  • Anthony B
    Keighley, United Kingdom13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dinosaurs!!!!!
    This museum is well worth a visit. From the moment you walk in and see the Blue Whale swimming above you, you cannot fail to be fascinated by everything that there is to see. The dinosaur exhibits are well presented and informative. I would recommend getting there early, or pre booking your tickets, as the general queue time was over 2 hours. I would definitely visit again.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 17, 2024
  • Lucy I
    42 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good visit, lots to see. Expensive cloakroom
    Really enjoyed our visit. We had booked free tickets online and were allowed in with no queue 30 mins before our booked time slot. Cloakroom was very expensive - £3 per coat compared to £3 for a whole locker in the science museum next door! Only had time to complete the red section this time but we really enjoyed it. So much to look at, lots of interactive bits. Kids (both aged 7) really enjoyed it. Will be back to look at more zones.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 17, 2024
  • Natalie
    10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    BTS Spirit Collection tour is AMAZING!!!
    Visited on 17/02/24 with my boyfriend for his birthday to do the Behind the Scenes Spirit Collection tour. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone with an interest in zoology/ecology. My boyfriend, a zoology student, was fascinated by the specimens in the basement. And seeing a giant squid in real life is pretty cool too!! Our tour guide Joe (Joseph Morris? Norris? Not too sure of last name sorry!!!) was lovely and very friendly. The talk did not feel like we were being spoken at with a script of information, but instead it was a conversation between the group and Joe. He was very kind and answered all our enquiries! This was my first visit to NHM and it was absolutely incredible!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 17, 2024
  • Matt
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spirit Collection Tour is a solid 10/10! 🦑🐋
    Me and my girlfriend did the Spirit collection tour yesterday and it was absolutely fantastic. Joe was our tour guide and he was brilliant, very friendly and funny and made the whole tour enjoyable for the small group. It was educational and informative and we got to see some really cool stuff. I highly recommend the Spirit collection tour for anyone wishing to see behind the scenes. It’s so rare to see a giant squid and Archie (great name for a squid) is preserved beautifully intact. Thanks again NHM for an awesome day!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 19, 2024
  • Carol
    Lisbon, Portugal2,088 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Natural History Museum in London
    Located in Kensington, close to Hyde Park, this is one of the museums worth visiting in London. The structure is imposing and spacious, characterized by the dinosaur skeleton found at the entrance. It has several floors, each dedicated to a theme: from man and his evolution to natural disasters. The history of life and the planet is told here through images and objects, even pieces and fossils, in a didactic way that makes it very interesting and complete. Suitable for all ages. Entry is free.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 23, 2024
  • jaydeeAberdeen
    Banchory, United Kingdom132 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    London mini-break.
    A great museum, with fantastic exhibits and a very grand building. By pre-booking our free tickets we avoided the queue, which was a double bonus as it was raining. We spent over 4 hours there and still only saw half so be prepared for a full day or multiple visits. It was very busy, even in February, so be warned.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 24, 2024
  • Ladyofcampfires
    Aylesbury, United Kingdom66 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Busy but beautiful museum
    My partner and I visited here during a recent trip to London, we spent most of the afternoon here and then came back for a couple of hours in the morning the next day to see bits we had missed. The museum is incredibly busy. We visited in the winter, on a weekday during term time so suspect it was a slightly quieter time to visit but still, sometimes it was difficult to actually stop and look at anything due to the crowds. We returned for opening the next day and the first hour of the day was much quieter and easier to explore so I would recommend going early. There seemed to be a endless amount of school trips there, understandable, it's a great place for a school visit but there were a number of times we were in a room which was just taken over by 30-40 primary school aged children. You'd hurry through the room because you couldn't actually look at anything anyway only to be greeted by another school group 10 minutes later. This did get a little tiresome and I wonder if school visits could be more efficiently managed for the enjoyment of both the class and the general public visiting. There were plenty of fascinating exhibits as well as other areas which remained completely unchanged since I last visited about 10 years ago. A lot of 'the red zone' looks like it's seem better days and could do with some TLC. Exhibits aside, the museum itself is absolutely gorgeous, excellent architecture and the main hall is something truly spectacular to behold, especially with the blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. The dinosaur area was slightly disappointing. The vast majority of the skeletons were suspended from the ceiling, it looked like there was a suspended walkway too so you could walk up high and get a better view but this wasn't open. Unsure if it's ever open to the public or if it's just for staff as there was no obvious way to get up there either, but from ground level you really couldn't get much of a good look at what was one of the main reasons for our visit, especially as it was so busy it was hard to stop and look up at them for longer than a few seconds so we missed a lot of detail. Despite this, it's well worth a visit. I doubt there's anybody of any age, knowledge or interest level who wouldn't find something in here that impressed them.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Thomas H
    London, United Kingdom8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    treasure trove of the natural world
    The Natural History Museum in London is a captivating treasure trove of the natural world, showcasing awe-inspiring exhibits and interactive displays that will ignite your curiosity. From towering dinosaur skeletons to dazzling gemstones, the museum offers a fascinating journey through Earth's history and biodiversity. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a curious explorer, or simply looking for an enriching experience, the Natural History Museum promises an unforgettable adventure for visitors of all ages. Come and discover the wonders of our planet firsthand – a visit to this extraordinary museum is an absolute must!
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Tony B
    86 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful
    Oh it's just wonderful, from the hugely popular dinosaurs to the quieter rocks in the upper floors, there's always something to make you stop and look again. I think you could go back once a month and still see something new on each visit. The building itself is as spectacular as the whale that greets you, every pillar or staircase seems different. The cafe is a little expensive but the food is good and a small mark-up on a butty is no price at all to see the exhibits. Serious advice is to book ahead, it's free and saves you queuing to get in, the queues for those just turning up were 2 hours...no fun on a cold rainy London day.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 4, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles38,347 reviews
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Antoine1776
pouzol93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Couples
On site you will discover the building and it is just beautiful! The museum is amazing there is so much to see! Admission is free, I still advise you to book a time slot on the museum’s website, otherwise you will be in a queue and will drop in
Automatically translated
Written December 14, 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.
Merci pour votre généreuse critique ! S'il vous plaît, revenez nous rendre visite bientôt !
Written December 18, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gareth C
Bristol, United Kingdom41 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
Great museum in a spectacular building
We visited on 4 January, it was horrendously busy which detracted from the overall experience. We had to queue for 20 mins to get in which seemed absurd given how busy it was, not sure what they achieve by stalling people.
Really ought to start charging a small admission fee whilst charging non-UK nationals a proper entry fee.
Written January 4, 2025
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.
Hello Gareth C, thank you for taking the time to leave a review following your recent visit to the museum. We are sorry to see that you felt the museum was to busy. I am sure you can appreciate just how challenging it can be to manage one of the UK's busiest visitor attractions during peak school holidays. For a less busy experience we generally recommend a week day visit during UK school term time. We hope you will consider another visit in the future.
Written January 15, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

sw4boy01
London, UK51 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Great museum. Took 2 grandkids 6&5 probably a bit young but loved the interactive stuff dinosaurs creepy crawlers volcanoes. Would recommend buying a ticket we queued for 45mins in the non ticket line! Get the tickets!
Bit like IKEA loads of people Following the same route causing obstructions watching the displays, others walking against the tide! Busy but still room
To move.
Food in T Rex cafe was ok but pizzas for kids were obviously frozen and stuck in the oven for 15 mins, could be better. Signage to toilets not good should say mezzanine floor! Otherwise a great couple of hours well spent. Would recommend.
Get the Tickets first!
Written January 28, 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.

253tor
Greater London, UK3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
We loved visiting this museum before my child started school but at holiday times the crowding seems to be horrendous. We have left early as my 6 year old keeps being pushed and is upset at not being able to see anything properly or move around freely. Given the impossibility of taking children out of school in the UK now, 'we recommend visiting in term time', as suggested by the museum in previous review responses, is an inadequate response for anyone with children aged 5-18. I appreciate the museum needs funds but admission does need to be much more limited in holidays to ensure a more pleasant experience for everyone.
Written January 3, 2025
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.

Noob F
1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
I will start by saying that my visit was on a particularly busy day (19 Dec 23). The staff were clearly doing their very best to help everybody, however the system that they are operating for controlling ingress and egress simply isn’t appropriate.

There is a queue for non-ticket holders but it moved glacially slow. There was a separate route for “ticket holders” whom I initially assumed had paid a fee. After a short while it become obvious that you could “book” a ticket online for free and immediately skip the entire queue. I didn’t do this due to some daft notion of nobility and sense of fairness as for a handful of clicks on my phone I would be able to skip an hours worth of queuing and overtake everyone in front of me.

However, when l finally got into the museum it became clear that the booking system is totally non-functional. Both queues ended up going through the same route and there was no check to see if you had booked tickets. I imagine a large number of people were simply walking straight into the building and skipping the queue. Either way, the system enabled you to book tickets as little as 10 minutes in advance for free so the entire notion of a “non ticket holder” queue is non-sensical.

A number of rooms/exhibits were busy to the point of danger. I was acutely aware that if any incident occurred a crush would be a likely outcome, with high numbers of young children around this could be deadly.

My recommendation is to remove the ability to “book” tickets online as it is clear this system isn’t functioning anyway. You could then have a single queue that would progress at an appropriate rate (and allow you to properly control numbers).

If this isn’t possible then I would recommend increasing the minimum time people can book tickets for e.g. the earliest you can book is in 2 hours time. However, as above, there was no check of what tickets people had booked and everyone was piling in whenever they wanted to. This is what led to clearly unsafe numbers in various parts of the museum. I would be interested to know how this stands up against the fire certification that is held for the building to operate.
Written December 19, 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.

Kat G
4 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
I'm gutted to be leaving a poor review for the Natural History Museum, sadly we didn't enjoy it at all.

Main issues:
- it was way too busy. To the point that we couldn't freely walk around the Dinosaur area and were penned in shuffling around. Due to the number of people, you couldn't spend time looking at each exhibit. It was so packed at times it felt unsafe. Other areas were the same too.
- No staff to ask questions - we went for my 7 year olds birthday and he was really disappointed that there was nobody around to ask questions about the exhibits and learn more.
- the shop is extortionately priced
- as is the coat and pushchair storage
- the cafe was also eye watering, 4 cakes and 4 drinks was over £30 (2 adults, a 3 year old and 7 year old)

It was so noisy and packed with people my 7 year old ended up in tears and we left after 90 minutes. We made a special weekend trip down to London to visit the museum, booked tickets in advance and paid for the kids guide pack, a hotel etc so it was really disappointing to have these issues.

I can see the museum is absolutely incredible, it's a shame we didn't get to experience it. We will come back with the kids but will wait for a school inset day and make it a day trip.
Written November 5, 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.
HI there, thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are sorry to see that you felt the museum was overcrowded and overpriced. I am sure you can appreciate just how challenging it can be to manage one of the UK's busiest visitor attractions during peak school holidays. For a less busy experience we would recommend a weekday visit during school term time. We hope that you will consider another visit in the future. The museum is a registered charity and we have to generate our own income. With the museum being free entry, we have to rely on other revenue streams. We hope that you will consider another visit in the future.
Written November 13, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Francesca
Brescia, Lombardia321 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
Museum structurally very nice and with a rich collection, too bad for the crowd that does not allow you to move comfortably and see well the various display cases and exhibitions (we were here on a Saturday morning, perhaps during the week is quieter). In the dinosaur department it seems to be at Gardaland! Admission is free but it would definitely be appropriate to put a daily limit to limit overcrowding.
We had not booked the free online skip-the-line ticket but we queued up at about 10am, we waited about 10 minutes before entering. We left at about 1.30pm and the queue was much longer.
We had lunch inside the museum, there's a sort of Ikea-style buffet with sandwiches, salads and children's dishes (there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options), and we spent around £16 each. There's also the café department with cakes, coffee and pastries, and there's a spot to fill up the water bottle (a bit hidden behind the bar, look for it because the 33cl glass bottled water costs £2.80!)
Automatically translated
Written January 23, 2025
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.
Grazie per la tua recensione Siamo spiacenti di apprendere che la tua esperienza non è stata positiva. Il Museo ha un limite prestabilito sul numero di biglietti venduti al giorno e quando questi sono esauriti gestiamo una coda senza accesso. Tuttavia, l'ingresso utilizzando la coda dipende dal numero di visitatori che lasciano l'edificio, per garantire un livello sicuro e confortevole di persone all'interno. Ci auguriamo che possiate tornare presto a trovarci.
Written February 12, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

LSQRD1
Kent, OH898 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
Visiting this museum was one of our top priorities in London. We expected it to be busy but the crowds really took away from our experience. We pre-booked free tickets as indicated on the website but they were not checked. I assume they are checked during the first entry times but we just walked in through the donation maze they have set up with no one even peeking at our tickets. Controlling the number of individuals entering at a time would help immensely. We also encountered many very large groups of children. As others have noted, it was unpleasantly warm and stuffy.

In terms of the experience, the building and the grand hall are magnificent. The exhibits were highly variable with some being as they have been for decades (which we love) and others re-done. The highlight for us was the small room with some of the important specimens collected by famous scientists (but it was crowded) and the paid temporary bird exhibit. The dinosaur area was not to our liking; the set up of the displays was unlike anything we have seen in other museums and in my opinion chaotic and unattractive particularly combined with the crowds. We did eat lunch at one of the cafes (the Earth Hall cafe) and wish we had skipped it. Overall, there is a lot of potential and the building is amazing; they have some very nice specimens. Unfortunately, the crowds and hodge podgy displays took away from our experience.
Written August 7, 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.
Hello LSQRD1, thank you for your review. It's great to hear some of the highlights of your visit such as our current temporary exhibition Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre, as well as the architecture of the Museum building. However, we're sorry to read of some of the more negative aspects of your visit. We have ensured your comments have been logged and will be circulated so that we can continue to review and improve our offering. We hope that we can welcome you again in the near future.
Written August 23, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Scampi
Great Yarmouth, UK75 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Family
We went on Tuesday in October half term, family of 5 , two adults , two kids and a grandparent .
Easily found from South Kensington tube station, short walk and into the correct queue with some help from staff in purple for pre booked tickets.
Allowed in earlier than timed entry by 45 mins which was nice .
On entering you are blown away by the amazing architecture of the building , there is so much to see and do.
We started with toilets and finding Andy’s clock (from Andy’s dinosaur adventure on CBeebies) toilets well maintained and attended full time .
T rex dinosaur animatronic was amazing and not overly scary for a child with sensory issues.
The cafe was incredibly busy so we toured more of the museum and came back to the T-Rex restaurant a little later : food in there was amazing and good value for what you got . We unfortunately left out photos from the dinosaur part in there and luckily they kept them safe until we realised we had lost them. - A great day out but one you only need to do once
Written October 30, 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.
Hi there, thank you for taking the time to leave a detailed review following your recent visit to the museum. We love our building and the architecture and are always very pleased to see that others like it as much as we do. Great to see that you had a good time with the Dinosaurs and also made use of the restaurant. We do hope you plan another visit in the future.
Written November 1, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michele N
Leeds, UK81 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Family
I recently visited the Natural History Museum with high expectations, but unfortunately, I left feeling quite disappointed for several reasons.

Firstly, if you don't have pre-booked tickets, be prepared for an extremely long queue. It’s highly advisable to book in advance to avoid the hassle. Upon finally entering the museum, the magnificent architecture is undoubtedly impressive and sets an initial positive tone.

However, the experience quickly deteriorated. The temperature outside was a comfortable 22°C, but inside the museum, it felt closer to forty! The lack of air conditioning made it unbearably hot and humid. The overcrowding only compounded the discomfort, as it was nearly impossible to see any exhibits properly. People were visibly soaked with sweat, and whenever a fan was discovered, it was immediately swarmed by desperate visitors trying to cool down.

Adding to the frustration, a simple can of Coke was priced at nearly £3, which felt quite extortionate. Due to the oppressive heat and the overwhelming crowd, we could only endure half an hour before deciding to leave.

In summary, while the Natural History Museum boasts incredible architecture, the overall experience was marred by extreme temperatures, overcrowding, and high prices. If you do plan on visiting, make sure to book your tickets in advance and prepare for the heat.
Written August 6, 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.
Hello NicholsonReviews; we're sorry that your visit fell short of your expectations. You're absolutely right in that we strongly recommend visitors book their tickets in advance to guarantee entry and avoid long queues. You're also correct that as an historic building which is listed, airflow and temperature can represent a challenge. Please be assured our teams are working hard to reduce the impact of warmer days including the placement of fans across the galleries and encouraging visitors to stay hydrated. We're sorry that your visit was cut short as a result, and we hope that you'll be willing to come again in the future for a more enjoyable day.
Written August 23, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Natural History Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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