The Natural History Museum in London is a well-known museum that has a collection of specimens and artefacts that represents the natural world. It is located in South Kensington and is part of a group of three major museums on Exhibition Road, along with the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The museum was started in 1881, but it has roots that can be traced back to the 1750s. The British Museum began to collect natural history specimens, and in the 1850s, the collection was moved to a dedicated building in Bloomsbury. However, as the collection continued to grow, a new, larger building was needed. The Natural History Museum building was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and construction began in 1873, and it was completed in 1880.
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The museum was officially opened to the public on 18th April 1881 by King Edward VII.
The museum's collection consisted of more than 10,000 specimens, including fossils, minerals, and stuffed animals at the time of its opening. Today, the museum houses more than 80 million specimens. It has played an important role in the discovery and study of many important scientific specimens and has become an important centre for scientific research and education.
By Fernando Losada Rodríguez - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4933219
The museum has a focus on preserving endangered species and habitats and is home to a number of important conservation programs, including the Frozen Ark project, which aims to preserve the DNA of endangered species. The museum is also a popular tourist destination and attracts millions of visitors each year. Its stunning architecture and impressive collection of specimens make it a must-visit attraction for anyone interested in the natural world.
Have you visited the Natural History Museum in London? Let me know in the comments
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