The richly sculpted stonework of the cathedral-like Natural History Museum ( NHM) conceals an iron and steel frame, a revolutionary constriction techniques when the museum opened in 1881.

The central Hintze Hall showcases the museum’s collections and explores humanity’s relationship with the planet. It is dominated by the huge suspended skeleton of the blue whale.

The museum is divided into four sections: the Blue zone, Green Zone, Red Zone and Orange Zone. In the Blue Zone the Ecology Exhibition explores the complex web of the natural world  through a replica of a moonlit rainforest buzzing with the sounds of insects. One of the most popular exhibits is the Dinosaur Gallery, which includes animatronic models of dinosaurs. The Vault, in the Green zone, holds a dazzling collections of gems, crystals, metals and meteorites from around the world.

The Darvin Center is the largest curved structure in Europe. The eight-storey-high cocoon houses a vast collection of inspects and animals.