Sorry, sorry, sorry! that I've not been around much! My computer is bust at home, so I can't write :...
Sorry, sorry, sorry! that I've not been around much! My computer is bust at home, so I can't write :-( Hope you're all grand!
Member since:16.02.2001
Reviews:83
Members who trust:66
I remember when I was about eight years old, going with my mum and her human biology class from college to the Natural History Museum, for the human biology exhibit they have there. Of course, once we'd done all that boring grown-up stuff, I was allowed to go do what I really wanted to - look at Dinosaurs...
Just last month I found myself in London for a couple of days, and having no plans until the evening, decided to relive my youth and go back to the Museum. Of course, I'm older now, more mature, so thistime what I really wanted to see was... dinosaurs! Yes, more than a decade may have passed since an excited little boy reproached his mother for pronouncing the names wrong, but I was still only interested in the extinct beasts.
The Museum is split into two sections - The Life Galleries (dealing unsurprisingly
with life - animals, plants, evolution, and so on), and the Earth Galleries (shockingly concentrating on the Earth - volcanoes, Earthquakes, rocks, etc.). My big friends are situated in the Life Galleries.
The dinosaur exhibit, strangly, was better than I remembered, with a lot of information on the theories as to how the animals lived, and how they became extinct. As well as that, the exhibition has a new focal point these days - a "life-size" model of a young Tyrannosaur standing over it's dying prey. Nice. Extremely lifelike, the model is worth whatever they spent on it.
Staying with Life for the time being, I then went into the mammala exhibit, which boasts numerous stuffed and plastic animals, including an enormous life-size model of a Blue Whale - believe me, it needs to be seen to comprehend how big this thing is. The area also charts the evolution of today's animals from their extinct counterparts. Through the ground level, I wneded my merry way, encountering birds, insects, and the human reproductive system (no, not like THAT!), before making my way to the Life Galleries first floor.
Excitement is not the word. Cases and cases of Monkeys lay before me. Now, as evidenced by my name, I'm a bit of a monkey nut (bum-bum!), and so, as I charted the evolution of the human race, through austrolopithicans (I think) to Neanderthal to us, I was left to reflect on the sad fact that not all monkeys made it (*sniff, sniff*), but that some lucky ones, evidenced mainly by my sister, survive in disguise in human life today.
The final Life Gallery I saw was a bit of a puzzle, dealing as it did with crystals and minerals, and meteors. Interesting, yes, but why it's not in the other gallery, I'm not sure.
Onto the Earth Galleries, then, and after spending a good twenty minutes just looking at everything in the entrance hall, I climbed aboard an ENORMOUS escalator and was taken into the centre of the Earth, before emerging in the first gallery, dealing with volcanoes, and the aftermath and devastation caused by those disasters. Moving through to the earthquake section, I learnt about the causes of earthquakes and volcanoes, and through the magic of interactive exhibits (God bless sections targeted at kids), I discovered that in millions of years, England will be in the Arctic circle (for the sake of our descendants heating bills, speed up global warming!). One good bit of the earthquake area is the recreation of the Kobe earthquake, where you can stand in a mocked-up shop and be jolted around as if in an earthquake. Great fun, but, due to the fact that people might have got hurt, the movements are vastly understated, so not as exciting as it could have been.
The Museum, unlike on my last visit is NOT cheap. Shockingly, for a place which is meant to promote learning, adult tickets are an astronomical £9, with the usual concessions available at £4.50. Under 17's do go free, as do over 65's, and there is a family ticket available, but it would still be an expensive day out for the family. However, there is a plus side - when I say day ouy, I do mean day. To fully enjoy everything that is on offer requires at least four or five hours, and really it is more. The Museum is fully equipped with refreshment facilities, including a cafe and snack bars, so lunch can be taken care of inside, and of course there is the obligatory gift shop, stocking all manner of goodies, although unsurprisingly, focusing mainly on the dinosaur-ific aspect of the building. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the building, but as long as you have your ticket, you can go in and out as many times as you want during the day.
Situated in Kensington, near Knightsbridge, and within walking distance of various underground stations, the Natural History Museum will captivate young and old alike. Just make sure you don't break anything...
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: Free, accessible for all ages, located next to 2 other museums, lots to see Disadvantages: School holidays are VERY busy ; shops & eateries somewhat pricey
very helpful by (100%):
