The origins of the Natural History Museum go back more than 250 years to 1753 when physician and collector of natural curiosities, Sir Hans Sloane, left his extensive collection to the nation.
Sloane’s specimens originally formed part of the British Museum. Other collections were added and as the number of specimens grew a new home was needed for the nation’s natural history collection. The Natural History Museum opened its doors to the public on Easter Monday 1881. Arguably one of the most beautiful Victorian buildings in London, it is one of Britain’s most striking examples of Romanesque architecture. Look carefully and we can see the museum is decorated with an astonishing series of sculptures of plants and animals. Extinct species are placed to the east and the living to the west.
The museum is now home to a staggering 70 million life and earth science specimens. There are items from all over the world divided into five main categories – Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology and Zoology.
