The Natural History Museum in London is one of the great scientific institutions of the world. Housed in a breathtaking Romanesque building designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1881, it holds over 80 million specimens spanning botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology, and zoology.
The museum is a center for world-class research as well as a beloved public attraction. Admission is free, and its galleries take visitors on a journey from the origins of the Earth through the diversity of life, including the famous Hintze Hall where Hope, a 25.2-metre blue whale skeleton, hangs from the ceiling.
Virtual Tour Links
🐋 Official NHM Virtual Museum
The museum's own virtual experience lets you explore galleries, zoom into specimens, and access narrated highlights across the collection.
Start the Tour →📍 Google Street View Inside the Museum
Walk beneath Hope the blue whale and through the dinosaur galleries in immersive 360° Street View.
Step Inside →Key Areas to Explore
- Hintze Hall (Hope the Blue Whale) — The grand central hall features a 25.2-metre real blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, replacing the beloved Dippy the Diplodocus in 2017.
- Dinosaur Gallery — Animatronic dinosaurs and real fossil skeletons including a Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and the museum's famous T. rex.
- Earth Hall — Ride an escalator through a giant globe to explore volcanoes, earthquakes, and the forces shaping our planet.
- Minerals Gallery — Thousands of stunning mineral specimens including meteorites, gemstones, and rare crystals.
- Wildlife Garden — A hidden oasis of native British habitats in the museum grounds, home to over 3,000 species.
Quick Facts
- 80 million+ specimens — One of the largest natural history collections in the world
- Founded 1881 — Originally part of the British Museum, it became independent in 1963
- Romanesque architecture — The building itself is decorated with terracotta animals and plants
- Free admission — Open to all, nearly every day of the year (closed December 24–26)
💡 Pro Tip
Look for the building's terracotta decorations during the virtual tour — the west wing features extinct species while the east wing shows living ones, a design choice made by Alfred Waterhouse in the 1870s.
Enhance Your Virtual Visit
Recommended Gear for Virtual Travel
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Meta Quest 3S VR Headset
Stand beneath Hope the blue whale in fully immersive virtual reality.
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"Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould
A compelling account of the Burgess Shale fossils and what they reveal about the nature of evolution.