Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum
4.5
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
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
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Natural History Museum
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Kensington and Hyde Park
How to get there
- Gloucester Road • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
8,523 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,254 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- clh333Norwich, United Kingdom171 contributionsGreat but kids probably with cope with it all.We enjoyed our visit. The dinosaur section was the biggest hit with the kids although they also enjoyed the other animal sections. The earthquake floor is great. It is a bit generally limited on interactivity though and we didn’t do all the floors due to that as the kids got boredVisited May 2023Traveled with familyWritten May 29, 2023
- SK16 contributionsLots to see, nice way to spend a morningWent by myself, it was half term so very busy, not sure if it's always so busy. Great morning though, went round each area, Hope was magnificent this was my favourite part the hall was beautiful, but loved the animated dinosaurs too. Tried out the earthquake simulation too which was fine but wished it lasted longer. Was going to have food there but was very busy and the gift shop was very expensive, but other than that great way to spend a morning.Visited February 2023Traveled soloWritten June 4, 2023
- Dingbat1982Midsomer Norton, United Kingdom657 contributionsGreat museumBeautiful museum, lots to see and we were lucky to visit during half term and there were a couple of dinosaur related activities and shows for the children, the show in particular was great and very funny. The museum building itself is stunning. Staff were helpful. Didn't have to queue as we prebooked tickets, but queue for those that didn't have tickets was crazy.Visited May 2023Written June 4, 2023
- Suzanne DEssex, Vermont25 contributionsIconic London!A London classic! I brought my cousin here, as it was her first time in London and she was thoroughly impressed. The main hall with Hope the Blue Whale is just so stunning and beautiful! The exhibits were well done and interesting and the large gift shop had a lot of neat souvenirs to bring home. This is my favorite London museum and I will always go back when in town.Visited May 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 2, 2023
- Sightseer618530716633 contributionsTitanosaur exhibition ..........wow!Went specifically for the Titanosaur exhibition. We were not disappointed. Having so much hands-on information was engaging for the children, especially having staff around to encourage handling and discussion about specific items, such as jaw bones, all leading to the main exhibit.Visited June 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 3, 2023
- Matt_Y2302Cardiff, United Kingdom300 contributionsConfusionA bit confusing prior to visiting I looked on the website and it requested I booked a slot. However on arrival the tickets were not checked and people came and passed. The venue was a bit overcrowded. So levels could have been controlled. Amazing artefacts though.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 3, 2023
- DanSydney, Australia60 contributionsGreat for kids - Titanosaur exhibitionWe visited the Natural History Museum in July 2023 with ours kids aged 7 and 11. Our kids love dinosaurs, so we paid to enter the Titanosaur exhibition. The Museum is a beautiful old building which is impressive in its own right. The day we visited was pretty packed but that's to be expected at this time of the year. We were a little short of time so had to rush through most of the exhibits. We spent more time in the Titanosaur exhibition which was great and the kids loved it. It's quite interactive which keeps the kids engaged. Overall we would recommend the NHM, especially if you / your kids like dinosaurs 🦕!Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 5, 2023
- nowpackingDallas, Texas3,231 contributionsStunning MuseumStepping into the main hall is absolutely stunning - the architecture and huge skeleton of a Blue Whale suspended from the highest level provides endless views and photo opportunities! We really enjoyed the Gemstone and Mineral Gallery with the gorgeous oak display cases from 1881, especially the 9,381 carat flawless blue topaz gemstone and real gold nuggets! Don’t miss The Vault at the end of the room for even more rare and beautiful gems.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 5, 2023
- Laura JSheffield, United Kingdom227 contributionsSuch an amazing experienceThis is the most amazing Museum I have ever had the chance of going to, you have to block out a whole day due it being so massive inside. The exhibits are out of this world, from a full size (almost complete) Stegosaurus Skeleton to one of the earliest examples of human burials to natural disaster, this place has it all. I found the dinosaur exhibit to be my personal favorite and would recommend anyone with children to come here as there are animatronic dinosaurs and creatures in a few sections of the museum which is really engaging for them. There are plenty of places to eat while inside and benches to sit throughout as It can get tiring walking round there for hours. Overall, I would come here again everyday if I could and would recommend to anyone wanting a fun and interesting day out.Visited February 2023Written July 6, 2023
- BerylVBGreater London, United Kingdom41 contributionsOutstanding picturesWent to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Outstanding photography by children and adults in some unusual situations. Each backlit photo was accompanied by the name land country of residence of the photographer together with details of the camera and settings used as well as information on the actual picture. Well displayed and extremely interestingVisited July 2023Traveled with friendsWritten July 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
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
38,082 reviews
Excellent
25,159
Very good
8,916
Average
2,932
Poor
745
Terrible
335
CH1982
Evesham, UK614 contributions
Aug 2020
A great London museum. Tickets currently need to be pre-booked on the website and you can choose your time slot, still free to enter but you can make a donation of your choice if you desire. Actually found this booking system better than standing in the usual long queue to get in. Good variety of fantastic exhibits both fun and educational covering a lot of natural science, our 5 year old loved the dinosaurs in particular. Some of the sections that are "hands on" are naturally closed at the moment to reduce risk of multiple people touching items. There is seating available if you take food in to eat. We arrived early and were allowed to sit on the grassed area outside while we waited our time slot. Spent around 90 minutes inside.
The building itself is an architectural masterpiece and worth arriving early to look at the amazing masonry on the exterior. South Kensington Tube station is the closest and a very short walk to the museum.
Staff were doing a good job on a sweltering August day and were friendly and helpful.
The building itself is an architectural masterpiece and worth arriving early to look at the amazing masonry on the exterior. South Kensington Tube station is the closest and a very short walk to the museum.
Staff were doing a good job on a sweltering August day and were friendly and helpful.
Written August 10, 2020
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.
Geoff B
London, UK11 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Visited the Natural History Museum in London on Saturday 4th January 2020 primarily to skate on their ice rink but when we arrived there was over a two hour wait to get on the ice. Therefore we decided to go into the museum. However soon found that the queue to get in was huge, we queued for around 35mins. Once inside it was great but didn’t have sufficient time to see more than the dinosaurs. Loved the animatronic dinosaur exhibit.
Written January 4, 2020
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.
InspiredToTravel
Adelaide, Australia211 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
We went on New Years Eve and when we got there at 9:45 the line to get in was huge already. Many exhibitions and full of information. Initially I thought that this museum would only take an hour or so but we ended up spending a good 4 hours there. T-REX grill was a good spot to have lunch but they added a dessert onto our bill which we never received. Our waiter did not appear to be attentive whereas the server on the other side was always on the lookout for her tables and conversing with them. It did get crazy busy in the museum but it was well worth it. I don’t know how busy it gets during the summer months but I would say it was quite busy throughout the morning. Dinosaur exhibit is fantastic and there were many interactive activities for children. The volcano and earthquake section was great and it is recommended that time is spent taking in each ‘zone’. I also recommend taking a bottle of water with you which you can fill up in the museum - it can get hot. Highly recommend visiting - the time is well spent!
Written January 1, 2020
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.
Margaret2
England195 contributions
Jan 2020
Visited London for a long weekend so had our small case with us, security told us it had to go into the cloakroom which was fine but at a cost of £5 which we thought was a bit steep. However, we left it the whole day whilst we popped into the Science museum too, which meant we were hands free.
We visited on a Friday and the place was full of school parties which is fine if the adults in charge kept them under supervision and gave them basic rules for not running and especially not bumping into other members of the public that have equal rights to see the exhibits!
I would suggest that the museum is pitched towards younger children as descriptions were not very in depth, but still enjoyable to walk around.
There seem now to be more places to eat and have a drink which is great, we had tea and scones with clotted cream and jam, all of which was very good and not too expensive.
We visited on a Friday and the place was full of school parties which is fine if the adults in charge kept them under supervision and gave them basic rules for not running and especially not bumping into other members of the public that have equal rights to see the exhibits!
I would suggest that the museum is pitched towards younger children as descriptions were not very in depth, but still enjoyable to walk around.
There seem now to be more places to eat and have a drink which is great, we had tea and scones with clotted cream and jam, all of which was very good and not too expensive.
Written January 30, 2020
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.
Chatterboxmegan
Appley Bridge, UK1,176 contributions
Oct 2020
We visited the museum on Saturday 31st October. We booked tickets for opening at 10am and were really pleased we did as it was pretty quiet for the first 2 hours. We enjoyed looking around the varied exhibits before stopping for a spot of lunch around 12pm.
I wanted to give a specific mention to the gent with the beard who works in the cafe. He was working his absolute socks off and was extremely efficient, but still took the time to talk with all customers and was very friendly. He also looked to be training a new member of staff, talk about multi-tasking! Food was pretty fairly priced, with 2 lunches and 2 drinks coming to around £20.
When we went to carry on our visit about 12:30pm and found it was much busier. By this stage there were loads of kids running around which we expected due to half term, so at times there was little in the way of social distancing. Nonetheless staff were working hard to wipe down high touch areas and remind visitors around masks/social distancing. Overall a really enjoyable visit and we will certainly visit again when we're in the area.
I wanted to give a specific mention to the gent with the beard who works in the cafe. He was working his absolute socks off and was extremely efficient, but still took the time to talk with all customers and was very friendly. He also looked to be training a new member of staff, talk about multi-tasking! Food was pretty fairly priced, with 2 lunches and 2 drinks coming to around £20.
When we went to carry on our visit about 12:30pm and found it was much busier. By this stage there were loads of kids running around which we expected due to half term, so at times there was little in the way of social distancing. Nonetheless staff were working hard to wipe down high touch areas and remind visitors around masks/social distancing. Overall a really enjoyable visit and we will certainly visit again when we're in the area.
Written November 11, 2020
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.
WanderT&G
Aspley Guise, UK66 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
BUT don't go on half term! The queues were very long from all entrances! We got there about 11.00 and we had to que for over 45 minutes to get in. Once inside, it was quite busy, and there were certain areas where you had to que again. The dinosaur area was quite disappointing, too small, narrow corridors and one way system, forcing you to get stuck in more queues! Entry is free, we contributed to voluntary donations, lots of little cafe areas inside for a quick sandwich and a drink, but quite overpriced. I would like to do it again but maybe not on school holidays. All this said, the building inside is impressive and so are some of the exhibits.
Written February 20, 2020
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.
Cian Loughlin
2 contributions
May 2020
I went to The Natural History museum in London last week. I ament very interested in museums and wasn’t expecting much. The museum was free but you have to pay to see exhibitions and special tours. As soon as I walked in it was amazing. The dinosaurs were awesome, it was like being in Jurassic park! There were dinosaur bones everywhere and even fully formed dinosaur bones.
Other primary sources that I loved in the museum were animal bones (the elephant bones were interesting), fossils of animals like dinosaur fossils and hyraxes fossils and there were a number of stuffed animals that were interesting. There were also a hummingbird section which is a hit or miss but still interesting to me.
My favourite exhibition was the massive mammals. It was very interesting especially the massive blue whale. The cabinets were a hit or miss. I found them slightly boring and wouldn’t go back to that section again. The dinosaur exhibition was amazing as well it was so interesting to see the fossils and just amazing to think about them being here on this earth.
The tour was realistic and the dinosaurs, massive mammals and stuffed animals were engaging by the way they were presented them, yet the cabinets weren’t interesting and not engaging at all.
Sadly there was no video commentary. It would’ve been great if there was, it could’ve made the cabinets slightly more interesting. There was still signs giving information about the animals yet some of the information was very small and not quite readable.
I would recommend this to a friend because it’s so interesting to see and to learn about the dinosaurs that used to roam our earth. It is also interesting to see the mammals and stuffed animals and the fossils were so cool as well. I wouldn’t recommend the cabinets as they aren’t as engaging as the animals. Highly recommend. There is also a number of nice restaurants around like PierinoRestaurant Pizza Pasta.
Other primary sources that I loved in the museum were animal bones (the elephant bones were interesting), fossils of animals like dinosaur fossils and hyraxes fossils and there were a number of stuffed animals that were interesting. There were also a hummingbird section which is a hit or miss but still interesting to me.
My favourite exhibition was the massive mammals. It was very interesting especially the massive blue whale. The cabinets were a hit or miss. I found them slightly boring and wouldn’t go back to that section again. The dinosaur exhibition was amazing as well it was so interesting to see the fossils and just amazing to think about them being here on this earth.
The tour was realistic and the dinosaurs, massive mammals and stuffed animals were engaging by the way they were presented them, yet the cabinets weren’t interesting and not engaging at all.
Sadly there was no video commentary. It would’ve been great if there was, it could’ve made the cabinets slightly more interesting. There was still signs giving information about the animals yet some of the information was very small and not quite readable.
I would recommend this to a friend because it’s so interesting to see and to learn about the dinosaurs that used to roam our earth. It is also interesting to see the mammals and stuffed animals and the fossils were so cool as well. I wouldn’t recommend the cabinets as they aren’t as engaging as the animals. Highly recommend. There is also a number of nice restaurants around like PierinoRestaurant Pizza Pasta.
Written May 12, 2020
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.
NigePlymouth
Plymouth, UK219 contributions
Feb 2020
Excellent experience throughout. We arrived just as it was opening and there was a long queue, this went down very quickly and was very well managed by staff.
Once inside the building is stunning on its own even without all the exhibits. we stayed about 4 hours and still didn't see all of it. Very educational for both children and adults and well worth a visit.
There are several food and drink outlets located throughout the museum and although they can be a bit pricey this is offset by the fact that entry to the museum is free.
Brilliant place and will be back again at some point.
Once inside the building is stunning on its own even without all the exhibits. we stayed about 4 hours and still didn't see all of it. Very educational for both children and adults and well worth a visit.
There are several food and drink outlets located throughout the museum and although they can be a bit pricey this is offset by the fact that entry to the museum is free.
Brilliant place and will be back again at some point.
Written February 23, 2020
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.
Rachel P
Crawley, UK30 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
This museum is free, but it’s recommended that you give a donation to the upon entry. You can do this by cash or card. It’s worth the donation, so that this remarkable place can keep providing so much fun and information to the public. This museum has it all- exhibits on dinosaurs, space, endangered/extinct species, and even gem stones. There are plenty of facilities that make doing an all day trip here quite easy- I even saw plenty of enterprising families with their own snacks, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t want to splurge on buying something from the cafe.
Written January 26, 2020
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.
Sorellina
Lytham St Anne's, UK1,316 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is a stunning museum and always a joy to visit and spend time in. We went to the Wildlife Photography exhibition which was excellent if a bit overpriced.
Food from The Kitchen was ok with friendly service. Purchasing coffee and a cookie from the Central Cafe later in the day was an ordeal with abysmal service and the cookie cost £2.65 which seems a bit excessive for a biscuit! If we come again we’ll bring a picnic.
There are lots of things to see here and I first visited over thirty five years ago so it’s always like a trip down memory lane. Some of the exhibits could do with updating though - children of today don’t have patience with very slow electronics even if they were cutting edge on my first visit!!
The building is wonderful though and I could spend hours just looking at the architecture!
Still worth a visit - and so special that it is free to enter.
Food from The Kitchen was ok with friendly service. Purchasing coffee and a cookie from the Central Cafe later in the day was an ordeal with abysmal service and the cookie cost £2.65 which seems a bit excessive for a biscuit! If we come again we’ll bring a picnic.
There are lots of things to see here and I first visited over thirty five years ago so it’s always like a trip down memory lane. Some of the exhibits could do with updating though - children of today don’t have patience with very slow electronics even if they were cutting edge on my first visit!!
The building is wonderful though and I could spend hours just looking at the architecture!
Still worth a visit - and so special that it is free to enter.
Written March 1, 2020
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.
Ant F
London, UK2 contributions
Is it possible to rent a headphone guide in the German language?
Devendra G
India963 contributions
Try to pre-book the audio guide, we could not get one when we visited the museum. Most of the audio guides are available in british museums in all european languages.
Fat Joe Lampshade
Runcorn, UK18 contributions
Visiting London for 1 day only in the summer, 1x adult and 3x children (under 11's). How long can we expect to spend on the visit to the Natural History Museum? So I can book other attractions around our visit here. Thanks in advance.
janet B
United Kingdom2 contributions
Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced accommodation for 4 adults
Dug B
Port Macquarie, Australia79 contributions
We always use Premier Inn .County Hall is right by the London eye however since covid it is a little worse for wear but we have found this to be endemic across the world at the moment 👍🏼
josievangel
Pittsburgh, PA46 contributions
Are you able to leave the museum and come back in? I have a friend who is arriving at a different time and I'll have his ticket. Would I be able to leave to get him and come back in?
Yvonne W
Crawley, UK73 contributions
Yes you can
ShugrGrl55
Orange County, CA2,168 contributions
Can I skip the line at the side entrance, on Exhibition Rd, if I have a pre-booked time slot? Or must I use the main entrance off Cromwell Rd?
Janine S
Coventry, UK202 contributions
I believe you still need to use the main entrance..however there are two queues. One fir pre-booked tickets and another for people without. I hope this helps :) enjoy your time here it’s a great day out!
Joeipotter82
Perth, WA5 contributions
We have tickets to see dippy - can we also see the rest of the museum or do we need separate tickets for that?
Blonde Scottish Piper
119 contributions
Yes you can see the rest of the Museum
seahorse321
Skegness, UK48 contributions
hi we are going to the museum later in the year My husband is in a wheelchair and we wondered how disabled friendly the museum is ?Are there any lifts to all the floors ? Are there disabled toilets ? Are seats provided for elderly ? Thankyou in advance for any answers
sconinck
Brazil74 contributions
It's all very well prepared for the disabled, worry not!
Future KSB
Hyde, UK118 contributions
Does anyone know how long it takes to get around the whole museum?
Neil C
Peterborough, UK24 contributions
This I very much dependant on you. Some areas may be much more interesting than others. We spent 4 hours on site but could have easily done a couple more if it was less crowded
simon h
1 contribution
Do they have a luggage room or bag holding area?
YorkshireShacko
Wakefield, UK244 contributions
Yes they do
BristolWanderlust76
Dublin, Ireland3 contributions
We want to get the tube here and can manage a few steps with the Pram. We are coming on the District Line. How many steps (roughly) are there at South Ken?
therichastill
Stevenage, UK2,971 contributions
Hi,
Probably about 15 to get from the platform to the concourse and about 5 to get to the main exit to street level.
The Natural History is AMAZING and well worth visiting.
Have a great time.
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