Collections | Natural History Museum

Collections | Natural History Museum
Museum stories
Collections
Fish behind the scenes
Curator Dr Diego Vaz dives into the fish collection we care for.
Of the 80 million objects we care for, only a tiny fraction are on display.
Uncover colourful stories behind the specimens, meet collectors and curators past and present and read about their contributions to our understanding of the natural world.
Wonders on display
Anthropocene
Nine highlights of our Fixing Our Broken Planet Gallery
Explore the biggest challenges facing our planet and the nature-based solutions that can help us to create a more sustainable world.
Collections
Twelve treasures of our gardens
From hidden highlights to star sights and surprising sounds, explore 12 treasures in our new gardens.
Collections
The making of Fern the Diplodocus: Engineering meets natural history
Our latest attraction stands tall over the new gardens.
16 July 2024
Collections
Our new Evolution Timeline rocks
Experience the connection between rocks and life in our new Evolution Garden where rocks, fossils, plants and sculpture tell a story of evolution and geological change.
Collections
Museum highlights: Charles Darwin
Take a closer look at nine highlights, including Darwin’s favourite octopus and a rare first edition of his book, On the Origin of Species.
Collections
Twelve highlights of our Treasures Gallery
A royal lion skull, a Moon rock, a famous gorilla, even Darwin’s pigeons: uncover some of the most extraordinary specimens we care for.
Collections
Giants of Today Trail
Why do some animals grow so big?
Follow this trail around the Museum to discover some of today's giants and explore the highs and lows that come with being big.
Collections
14 highlights from the spirit collection
The Museum has over 23 million specimens stored in alcohol in the spirit collection. Explore some of the must-see specimens.
Space
From field to Vault, how the largest Winchcombe meteorite was found
Discovering the largest Winchcombe meteorite in a field of sheep poo.
5 October 2021
Collections
Giant squid: from the deep sea to display
Curator Jon Ablett tells the tale of how an elusive monster from the deep came to be one of our popular attractions.
Collections
Space highlights: Mars, Moon and meteorites
Blast off on an adventure around the galleries that are out of this world.
Collections
Attenborosaurus
: A celebrity reptile
This long-necked skeleton is
Attenborosaurus,
an extinct marine reptile named after legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.
Collections
The birds of American Animals
Discover John James Audubon's iconic and valuable book The Birds of America.
Space
Wold Cottage: The stone that proved meteorites come from space
When an unusual rock fell to Earth in 1795, it prompted the first large-scale investigation into the origin of meteorites.
Collections
Curious collections: Two-tusked narwhal
Marine mammal expert Richard Sabin takes us through what scientists know – and don’t know – about narwhals, also known as unicorns of the sea.
Collections
The heavy metal rock bands charting life on early Earth
The touchable, wavy folds of this rock tell a story as old as life on Earth.
Collections
Missouri Leviathan: The making of an American mastodon
From touring spectacle to museum star – discover the hidden history behind this ancient mammal skeleton.
Collections
The Imilac meteorite: A gem as old as the solar system
Professor Caroline Smith sheds light on the secrets this rock holds about the formation of our own planet.
Collections
Barbary lion skull from London
This skull was dug up from the Tower of London moat. The lion guarded the entrance 700 years ago as a symbol of strength.
Collections
The giant sequoia: preserving a slice of natural history
How do you conserve an ancient wedge of giant tree? With solvent, buckets of resin and a lot of patience.
Collections
Sunday Stone: recording England's coal mining past
No bigger than a smartphone, this remarkable rock has layers that tell the story of the working lives and hardships of miners in the 1800s.
Dinosaurs
The search for the real
Iguanodon
Discover how
Iguanodon
's true identity was finally revealed.
Collections
London calling: nine specimens from our city
These exhibits all have a story rooted in London, from the banks of the River Thames to Trafalgar Square and all the way to the Tower of London.
Collections
The 330-million-year-old fossil tree that’s stood the test of time
Discover the story of the 11-tonne fossil that’s been welcoming our visitors since 1887.
Endeavour illustrations
Explore original botanical drawings and engravings prepared by Sydney Parkinson aboard the Endeavour, as well as those completed after his death by artists back in England.
Explore the illustrations
Stories from behind the scenes
Collections
Fossil mammals behind the scenes
In the first of a new series, curator Dr Neil Adams shares the stories and science of the fossil mammal collection.
Collections
What is a type specimen?
Find out how scientists come up with a species name and what a type specimen is used for.
Science news
Contents of jars collected by Charles Darwin revealed in new scans
Almost two centuries after Charles Darwin’s pioneering voyage, his specimens are still inspiring groundbreaking new science.
27 January 2026
Science news
Glittering jewel butterflies: Natural History Museum describes 262 new species in 2025
Over the last 12 months our scientists have been busy cataloguing the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth.
16 December 2025
Space
Meteorites: Windows into our solar system’s beginnings
Meteorites are like a time machine and a spacecraft all in one.
Collections
British fish records: How the UK’s biggest fishes are found
One of the more unusual jobs of our scientists is to verify record-breaking catches of everything from titanic tuna to colossal cod.
Collections
Dr Blanca Huertas: Revealing the collection’s secrets, one butterfly at a time
Our butterfly expert talks about her life, passions and the power of perspectives.
Collections
Fossil preparation: How do we get specimens ready for display?
It takes time, endless patience and skill to transform a fossil into a museum-worthy exhibit.
MacGillivray art collection
Browse watercolours of mammals, birds and fish by William MacGillivray (1796-1852), which are housed at the Natural History Museum.
Browse the art collection
Collectors and trailblazers
Gilbert White: the modern naturalist
Gilbert White's talent and passion for observing and recording nature inspired many future naturalists, including Charles Darwin.
Collections
Maria Sibylla Merian: Metamorphosis unmasked by art and science
Adventuring unchaperoned in seventeenth century Suriname, Maria Sibylla Merian blazed a trail for women and science.
Collections
Mary Anning: The unsung hero of fossil discovery
Mary was a pioneering palaeontologist and fossil collector. Her lifetime was a constellation of firsts.
Collections
Charles Darwin: History’s most famous biologist
Charles Robert Darwin transformed the way we understand the natural world with ideas that, in his day, were nothing short of revolutionary.
Collections
Anna Atkins's cyanotypes: the first book of photographs
Meet the first person to illustrate a book with photographic images.
Collections
Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?
An intrepid explorer and brilliant naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace co-published the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin.
Collections
Hans Sloane: Physician, collector and botanist
Hans Sloane’s collection formed the basis of the Natural History Museum.
Collections
Lucy Evelyn Cheesman: the woman who walked
Whether liaising with cannibals or escaping giant spider webs, Cheesman took the challenges of perilous fieldwork - and patriarchal views - in her stride.
Collections
Daniel Solander: a Linnaean disciple on HMS Endeavour
Meet the Swedish botanist who ventured around the world on Captain Cook's pivotal first voyage.
Collections
Dorothea Bate: A Natural History Museum pioneer
Meet the trailblazer who was one of the first women employed as a scientist by the Natural History Museum.
Collections
Joseph Banks: scientist, explorer and botanist
Meet eighteenth-century naturalist and collector Sir Joseph Banks.
Collections
Architect Alfred Waterhouse and his iconic Natural History Museum building
Explore a menagerie of designs fit for a 'cathedral to nature'.
Hidden histories
Collections
Who was Graman Kwasi?
Though visitors can spot his namesake on the iconic gilded ceiling of our Hintze Hall, few will have heard of Graman Kwasimukambe.
Collections
Black history at the Natural History Museum
Discover the contribution of Black people to the field of natural history.
Collections
The Museum at wartime
During the Second World War a number of galleries were commandeered by British spy networks. Explore the secret wartime history of the Museum, in photographs.
Collections
On tour with Tupaia
This charismatic Polynesian turned Cook's first voyage into his own ceremonial tour.
Collections
Ida Slater: A geologist ahead of her time
Discover the important contributions made by one of London’s first woman geologists.
Collections
Slavery and the history of the collections we care for
Explore research into how our history and collections are connected to the transatlantic slave trade.
Collections
Quick, hide the dodo - the suffragettes are coming
Archivist Laura Brown offers a peek behind-the-scenes at the Museum from 1912 to 1914, when suffragists were fighting for the vote.
Collections
The incomparable tale of Evelyn Cheesman
The adventures of a tenacious female explorer brought to life by comic artist Sammy Borras.
Collections
Helen Marguerite Muir-Wood: my Musuem hero
Brachiopod curator Zoë Hughes celebrates the life and work of one of the Museum's great pioneering geologists.
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More stories about the collections
Oceans
What is an ichthyosaur? The real sea dragons that once swam beneath the waves
Find out what fossils have revealed about ichthyosaurs, which included the biggest marine reptile that ever lived.
Oceans
Meet the monsters of the Jurassic seas
Journey beneath the waves and meet some of the fiercest marine reptiles that have ever lived.
Science news
How natural history museums can help restore the natural world
Natural history museums contain an astonishing snapshot of the planet’s biodiversity.
3 March 2026
Oceans
What is a plesiosaur? The prehistoric sea creatures that inspired the Loch Ness Monster
Find out what plesiosaur fossils have revealed about these animals and how big they could grow.
Science news
New species of ancient crocodile named in honour of Welsh school teacher
It has been called
Galahadosuchus jonesi
in recognition of David Rhys Jones.
13 February 2026
Science news
Contents of jars collected by Charles Darwin revealed in new scans
Almost two centuries after Charles Darwin’s pioneering voyage, his specimens are still inspiring groundbreaking new science.
27 January 2026
Science news
Ancient humans made elephant bone tools in Europe half a million years ago
A prehistoric tool is reshaping our understanding of Europe’s early inhabitants.
21 January 2026
Science news
Europe’s missing ceratopsian dinosaurs have finally been found
A dinosaur named
Ajkaceratops
has revealed that relatives of
Triceratops
lived in Europe after all.
7 January 2026
Science news
New species of beetle named in honour of Gerald Durrell
The new species is found in Madagascar, a country closely linked to Gerald’s conservation work.
22 December 2025
Science news
A 400-million-year-old fossil is revealing how plants grew into giants
Horneophyton lignieri
is changing what we know about plant evolution.
18 December 2025
Science news
Nine new butterfly species discovered by scientists tackling taxonomic tangle
Five former
Thereus
butterflies from South America have been revealed as 16 different species.
11 December 2025
Space
Meteorites: Windows into our solar system’s beginnings
Meteorites are like a time machine and a spacecraft all in one.
Science news
A groundbreaking year for science
In the last 12 months, we celebrated the start of our new science centre and appointed our first Director of Collections.
5 December 2025
Collections
What is a type specimen?
Find out how scientists come up with a species name and what a type specimen is used for.
Collections
British fish records: How the UK’s biggest fishes are found
One of the more unusual jobs of our scientists is to verify record-breaking catches of everything from titanic tuna to colossal cod.
Science news
Starfish break the rules of animal distribution
The biggest study of starfish is challenging some long-held assumptions.
3 September 2025
Dinosaurs
Discovering mysterious Middle Jurassic dinosaurs in Morocco
Discover why Morocco is so important for studying dinosaurs.
What on Earth?
Dragonflies: The ultimate hunters
Dragonflies are an airborne terror for other winged insects.
Science news
Fossil halves separated for 90 years are a new species of reptile
Sphenodraco scandentis
would have climbed among the trees of ancient Jurassic forests.
2 July 2025
Science news
New species of ‘mystery’ dinosaur unveiled at the Natural History Museum
Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae
is going on display in our Earth Hall.
25 June 2025
Oceans
Is megalodon still alive?
Dive into the modern megalodon myth and weigh up the evidence.
Space
11 Highlights from Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?
Prepare for launch by taking a sneak peek at our favourite stories and specimens from the Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? exhibition.
Science news
How museum specimens could help save koalas from extinction
Koala numbers have fallen drastically over the last 100 years due to hunting and habitat loss.
9 May 2025
Science news
New fossil shark named from ancient skeleton discovered in southern England
The new species, named
Pararhincodon torquis
, is a distant relative of the collared carpet sharks.
30 April 2025
News
Six millionth specimen digitised reveals beetle’s last meal
The insect not only marks a major milestone, but also highlights the power of digitising our collection.
28 April 2025
News
Darwin’s letters and books recognised as a UNESCO documentary heritage
The documents will join other important archives such as the illuminated manuscripts of Charlemagne’s court.
22 April 2025
Anthropocene
Nine highlights of our Fixing Our Broken Planet Gallery
Explore the biggest challenges facing our planet and the nature-based solutions that can help us to create a more sustainable world.
Biodiversity
What is taxonomy?
Find out what taxonomy means and why it’s important to classify life on Earth.
Science news
Moth collected by Alfred Russel Wallace rediscovered and helps to describe 11 new species
A rather uninspiring specimen in the Natural History Museum’s collection has an extraordinary tale to tell.
4 March 2025
Science news
Material necessary for life on Earth may have been delivered by asteroids like Bennu
Samples from the asteroid Bennu contain some of the ingredients needed for life to develop.
29 January 2025
Collections
Dr Blanca Huertas: Revealing the collection’s secrets, one butterfly at a time
Our butterfly expert talks about her life, passions and the power of perspectives.
Science news
Rare tooth from 55-million-year-old predator uncovered by seven-year-old boy
A molar found in sand from south London could shed light on the last days of an ancient mammal.
25 July 2024
Collections
Twelve treasures of our gardens
From hidden highlights to star sights and surprising sounds, explore 12 treasures in our new gardens.
Collections
The making of Fern the Diplodocus: Engineering meets natural history
Our latest attraction stands tall over the new gardens.
16 July 2024
Collections
Our new Evolution Timeline rocks
Experience the connection between rocks and life in our new Evolution Garden where rocks, fossils, plants and sculpture tell a story of evolution and geological change.
Dinosaurs
The Jurassic Period: How did dinosaurs go from basal to bulky?
By the end of the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs ruled our planet. But how they became such a diverse group remains a mystery.
Science news
Rediscovering the world’s largest cormorant
The spectacled cormorant went extinct almost 200 years ago – but almost nothing is known about its life.
19 March 2024
News
New Royal Mail stamps will feature dinosaurs and celebrate Mary Anning
Royal Mail is releasing a trove of new palaeontological-themed stamps.
5 March 2024
Collections
Our LGBTQ+ video tour
Take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum and explore the astonishing diversity of the natural world.
News
Re-examining Sir Hans Sloane’s collections
The private collections of Sir Hans Sloane formed the basis of the British Museum, the Natural History Museum and the British Library.
18 January 2024
News
Museum scientists published over 700 new pieces of research in 2023
Our scientists have contributed papers on everything from deep sea diversity to marsupial evolution.
14 December 2023
Collections
What is a fossil?
Fossils are physical evidence of prehistoric animals and plants, but there may be more to them than you ever realised.
Science news
‘It’s almost like a dream’: Sample of asteroid Bennu arrives at the Natural History Museum
Welcome to the next era of natural history collections.
28 November 2023
Collections
Black history at the Natural History Museum
Discover the contribution of Black people to the field of natural history.
Collections
Fossil preparation: How do we get specimens ready for display?
It takes time, endless patience and skill to transform a fossil into a museum-worthy exhibit.
Science news
There is a sex bias in amphibian and reptile natural history collections
More surprising is that the vast majority of herpetology records are unsexed.
20 October 2023
Oceans
How trilobites conquered prehistoric oceans
Trilobites survived for more than 250 million years. But what made them some of the most successful early animals?
Collections
What can shark teeth tell us?
Sharks have been around for millions of years. Their teeth are some of the most common fossils you can find.
Dinosaurs
What happens when you find a dinosaur?
If you know what you’re looking at, little bits of bone can add up to something big.
Science news
Horns in the Natural History Museum's collection confirmed to be from extinct bluebuck antelope
Only four confirmed specimens are known to science.
4 September 2023
Collections
Travelling 2.7 billion years back in time on the search for the UK’s oldest rock
Our scientists have been looking for a rock that formed so long ago it was on Earth before complex life lived on land.
Collections
Bold and beautiful specimens from South Asia
An array of charming specimens collected from South Asia.
Collections
Well-loved specimens by our South Asian scientists
Our South Asian scientists share their research and their favourite specimen.
Collections
Hidden Treasures: Season two of our behind-the-scenes live streams
Explore our collections and discover some of the many specimens you won't see on a regular visit to the Museum.
Dinosaurs
The Cretaceous Period: What was Earth like before dinosaurs went extinct?
The Cretaceous Period is famous for ending with a massive asteroid impact, but what was our planet like in the millions of years before that?
News
The first known dinosaur egg? A new discovery from the collections we care for
A serendipitous discovery revealed that a beautiful mineral has been hiding a secret for over 170 years.
29 March 2023
Science news
Natural history museums around the globe contain over 1.1 billion objects
The specimens and objects held in museums around the world represent an astonishing resource.
23 March 2023
What on Earth?
How do dung beetles' diets keep the world clean?
Find out why dung beetles eat poo and how some use the Sun and stars when they travel.
Science news
Boring bivalves are much more diverse than non-boring molluscs
A new study reveals that there are many ways these animals bore through solid rock, but a lack of habitat may lock them into an evolutionary dead end.
8 February 2023
What on Earth?
Murder, maggots and forensic entomology
Did you know that flies have been helping us solve crimes for hundreds of years?
Collections
Christmas plants and flowers: The traditions and science of festive flora
Two Museum experts highlight the stories and science behind some of our most festive flora.
Collections
Hidden Treasures: Season one of our behind-the-scenes live streams
Catch up on season one of our interactive behind-the-scenes live stream.
Science news
Gloucestershire fossil suggests modern lizards could have Triassic origins
A new species of extinct lizard has been described from the Museum's collections.
2 December 2022
Science news
Tadpoles have an eye on the future as their vision develops
Frog lenses develop differently depending on what environment they will live in as adults.
16 November 2022
Science news
More sociable mammals evolve quicker than solitary ones
The study could help in predicting how species will respond to the rapidly changing environment.
27 October 2022
Science news
Outer solar system near Neptune and Uranus was source of rare asteroids
A large part of the asteroid belt may have been formed out on the fringes of the Solar System.
20 October 2022
News
Unlocking wheat's genetic secrets to feed the world
A new project aims to use the Museum's historic collections to investigate how the genome of wheat has changed.
12 October 2022
Science news
Ryugu asteroid samples offer insight into early years of the solar system
Researchers have caught a glimpse of the cosmos just two million years after the formation of the solar system.
22 September 2022
Anthropocene
The baiji: Why this extinct river dolphin still matters
Sometimes reminding ourselves of a conservation failure can be just as important as celebrating our successes.
Science news
Size, not sex, is key to the development of wildebeest horns
Female wildebeest are engaged in an evolutionary arms race - but scientists aren't sure why.
14 September 2022
Science news
HMS Challenger: How an 1870s expedition still influences scientific discoveries today
Over a century ago, one of the most important scientific expeditions in history departed from the UK to explore the oceans of the world.
6 September 2022
Science news
Recreating the song of a 150-year-old insect could help rediscover its species
An insect last seen in 1869 has sung again, which could help give researchers clues about where the insect might still be living.
10 August 2022
Science news
The biodiversity crisis is making birds more similar
The days of the most distinctive bird species could be numbered as the most unusual forms bear the brunt of global extinctions.
21 July 2022
Science news
Rare moth collected by Museum founder Sir Richard Owen rediscovered
Digitising Museum collection leads to rediscovering a moth collected by Richard Owen
20 July 2022
Collections
The Irish elk: when and why did this giant deer go extinct and what did it look like?
Fossil bones and antlers in the collection hold clues about the life and disappearance of Europe's biggest ever deer.
Collections
Jubilee agate: a royal piece of quartz
The specimen is currently on display at the Museum in the Minerals gallery.
1 June 2022
Science news
'Ghost' fossils reveal how oceans could be affected by climate change
Plankton which help feed the ocean, lock away carbon dioxide and even influence the weather may not be as vulnerable to climate change as feared.
19 May 2022
Science news
Museum bats digitised to combat future pandemics
Understanding how bats, which are one of nature's largest disease reservoirs, have changed over time can help scientists to identify new disease hotspots.
7 April 2022
Science news
Birds are officially more colourful closer to the equator
The tropics have long been perceived as being a riot of colour.
4 April 2022
Collections
13 inspiring stories from the Women in Science Tour
The Museum's new, free Women in Science tour tell some inspiring stories of women in science.
Tring
Taxidermy at Tring: how Walter Rothschild procured specimens for the Museum
Walter Rothschild acquired animals from all over the world to study and display at his museum.
Science news
Museum digitises five millionth specimen to unlock secrets of collection
The digitisation of these collections could be worth two billion pounds to the global economy.
18 January 2022
Science news
Shackleton's final expedition: Reuniting Quest's collection 100 years later
A century ago, the era of 'heroic' Antarctic endeavours came to an end as the
Quest
expedition made its way home.
5 January 2022
Science news
Digitising the entire Museum collection could contribute over £2 billion to the global economy
The economic benefit of digitising an entire museum collection has been quantified for the first time.
26 October 2021
News
Extreme weather from climate change could overwhelm bird eggs
Climate change could leave birds and their eggs unprepared for the extreme weather being thrown at them.
20 October 2021
Anthropocene
Snarge: the gruesome result of our holiday flights and why it's important to study it
As you're taxiing to the runway, spare a thought for what the impact of your flight might be.
British wildlife
Environmental DNA: What is it and how can it help nature recovery?
Find out what eDNA is and how it can be used for conservation.
Anthropocene
How natural history museums can help fight future pandemics
Data on three bat families will be released on an open platform and made available to researchers all over the world.
Oceans
What is an ammonite?
The often tightly wound shells of ammonites may be a familiar sight, but how much do you know about the animals that once lived inside?
Science news
Beautiful new emerald-green mineral described from Cornwall
New minerals from the UK are very rare.
11 December 2020
News
One of the world's biggest sanctuaries for wildlife has just been created
The most remote inhabited island in the world has become one of the biggest wildlife sanctuaries on the planet.
13 November 2020
Science news
New species of monkey is already critically endangered
The Popa langur lives on an extinct volcano in Myanmar.
11 November 2020
How to make a salt dough ammonite fossil
If you can't get out to the beach to find fossils, why not make your own ammonites instead?
Collections
Hidden figures: Forgotten contributions to natural history
Discover more about the people behind the headlines and how they have been overlooked by the history books.
Collections
John Edmonstone: the man who taught Darwin taxidermy
John Edmonstone was a former enslaved man who taught the young Charles Darwin the skill of taxidermy.
Collections
Meet the Tanzanian creating a herbarium to inspire the next generation
Canisius Kayombo is a remarkable researcher who is enriching our understanding of plants and science.
Science news
New Guinea is home to more plant species than any other island
The first taxonomically verified checklist of the plants of New Guinea is complete.
5 August 2020
Gilbert White: the modern naturalist
Gilbert White's talent and passion for observing and recording nature inspired many future naturalists, including Charles Darwin.
Science news
Museum collections show how pangolin populations have shrunk
Discover how we're helping some of the most threatened animals on Earth.
30 April 2020
News
Terra Nova notebooks describing penguin sexual behaviours acquired by the Museum
Extraordinary notebooks from the Terra Nova Antarctic expedition are available for study for the first time.
25 April 2020
Dinosaurs
Brontosaurus
: Reinstating a prehistoric icon
For over 100 years palaeontologists thought this dinosaur didn’t exist.
Collections
14 highlights from the spirit collection
The Museum has over 23 million specimens stored in alcohol in the spirit collection. Explore some of the must-see specimens.
Science news
How 150-year-old samples are teaching us about climate change
Samples collected on the HMS Challenger are teaching us about climate change.
31 January 2020
Biodiversity
Flies: The compelling case for why they’re actually fabulous
Did you know that there are more species of fly in the UK than there are mammals on the planet? And they perform some pretty important jobs.
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