As the summer holidays get into full swing, my house becomes full of crotchety, bored children, who are desperate to go on day trips. Now personally, while venues such as theme parks and the seafront are fun, I prefer to take them places where they'll learn something at the same time as having that fun. I therefore like to take them to such places as the zoo and museums, and one of their favourite museums is the Natural History Museum, which is fairly conveniently situated a short walk from South Kensington tube station and open 10am-5.50pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-5.50pm Sunday (closed 24-26 December).
As I said, getting there is a fairly painless process, although you should consider that if you're pushing a buggy or wheelchair, there are a number of stairs to manoeuvre (thank goodness for those kind souls that help with carrying), and there are actually three lines that serve the station (District, Circle and Piccadilly), although it should be noted that there are still severe restrictions on these services. If you prefer not to travel by tube, there are a number of buses that stop nearby, along with cycle parking facilities. The one method of transport not recommended is by car, as there is very limited parking available, and what there is, is very expensive.
Once you get to the museum, it's worth taking time
(if you're only with adults) to appreciate the actual building, which is one impressive piece of architecture. Sadly, with young children in tow, I never actually get this chance, and instead have to immediately make my way to one of the two entrances. Yes there are two entrances, the main one which is very easy to get to, but sadly features yet more steps, and one that's a little further out of the way, but is accessible by wheelchair/buggy users.
Once you finally manage to enter the buildings, you'll notice that you are no longer required to pay. This is always a good thing, and makes that day out even better value for money. Depending on which entrance you've used, you'll find yourself in one of two sets of galleries :
The Earth Galleries : which is rather boring for children and basically features a lot of rocks, along with a very large escalator that I've never been able to manage myself (due to a phobia). My more mobile children have told me that this is quite exciting to go up, but other than the earthquake a bit of a let down.
The Life Galleries : This is the fun part of the museum, where you will find the dinosaur, stuffed animal, and interactive displays, this is also the part that I will go into a little more detail about.
The Life Galleries are situated at the front of the museum (next to the entrance with stairs), and the very first thing your children will see are the massive dinosaur skeletons, which never fail to impress and of course make great photo opportunities. As soon as we get this far I find myself dragged into the actual dinosaur gallery, which is possibly the most impressive part of the museum. It's here you will find displays of various dinosaur skeletons (all with very informative information displays), but even better are the animatronics displays, where the bones have been given flesh and life so to speak, be careful though they can shock and even scare the younger child. On my last visit I was very disappointed that the T-Rex exhibit had vanished, but a quick look on the museum's website tells me that it's returned better than ever. This is one display I can't wait to take a look at on our next visit.
As well as the dinosaurs, a gallery that has to be on your not to miss list (especially if you're taking children) is human biology, this is a fantastic interactive experiences, which includes such things as a huge womb, so you can experience what a baby hears before it's born. My children love this gallery and have spent many hours pushing buttons, pulling levers and generally learning without even realising it.
While we're talking about galleries that you should definitely take a look at, the Creepy Crawly one is brilliant fun (if not really suitable for arachnophobes). Here you will displays of live ants, and an infested house (certainly not the thing to look at if you dislike bugs) among others. Again there is plenty for children to do, including flaps to lift.
Along with these not to miss galleries, there are plenty of displays of stuffed animals, that I actually found quite sad. Some of the animals and birds are now extinct, and somehow it seems wrong that the only way I or my children will see a dodo, is to look at one that's dead. The large mammal section, is great for giving your children a sense of just how big an elephant or giraffe is, and of course there's the largest mammal in current existence, the Blue Whale.
Once you've been round these galleries, you'll probably find that you need to take a bit of a break, and what better place than the Earth Lab. You get to sit down, while the children take part in one of a multitude of activities. These include unearthing "fossils" in a sand pit, making rubbing of different animal skins and examining various micro-animals under microscopes. If your children have any questions you can't answer (if they're anything like mine, there'll be lots), there is a very knowledgeable member of staff on hand. This attraction can get very busy, and there are times when the children are only allowed a limited time to explore.
So now you know about my favourite displays, what else do you need to know? Well perhaps you can go hours without using a toilet, but neither myself or my children can. There are plenty of toilets dotted around the museum, all of which are clean and well maintained. A nice touch is that there is a water fountain located near these toilets, so after emptying out, you can fill yourself back up.
Although there are cafes in the museum, they are very expensive, and I've never personally used them. I much prefer to take a packed lunch, which can be eaten in picnic area. There are also a number of shops, that are reasonably priced, there's always something that my children can afford, even if it is only a pencil or badge.
The final important point (in my opinion at least) is how accessible the museum is, and although the displays are several floors, there is no problem with accessing the majority of them. There are plenty of lifts dotted about, along with disabled toilets. The only problems are that you have to enter the museum through the rather boring Earth Galleries, and that the supposedly exciting escalator is out of limits.
So am I recommending you visit this museum? You bet, it's a free, fun, interactive and educational venue for all the family. Even the very young (under 2) will be able to look at the displays, while older children can't help but be impressed at the larger exhibits. So if you find yourself in the London area, with a houseful of bored children, why not make your way to as my youngest daughter so succinctly puts it "The dinosaur place" and maybe we'll see you there, just be prepared to spend all day.
*For further info on the museum including any special displays please visit http://www.nhm.ac.uk/index.html
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I'm planning a trip to London on Tuesday. I haven't been for years so I may have to visit here. Especially seeing as its free!
weetoon 07.01.2006 02:37
I would love to visit this. Your review brought back very vividly the days of pushchairs and young children. Not sure I miss it that much. :-)
markb999 26.10.2005 23:50
Great review. I went there as a kid some ....ahem..... years ago and loved it. I was thinking of taking my own kid now and wondered though whether it had stood the test of time. (It's a long way to go to be disappointed) Thankfully your review has answered the question for me, so pack up the old kitbag, London here we come! x Mark
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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
Advantages: A full day out, something to interest absolutely everyone. Disadvantages: Lots of groups of annoying schoolchildren get in your way during term time, quite expensive
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
Aug 5th, 2005
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (2%):
