The Natural History Museum

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Originally built as an overflow to house the British Museum’s expanding collection of natural history exhibits, the Natural History Museum is now a vast architectural jewel in its own right.

London Holiday Apartments bring countless historic spectacles within easy reach of visitors to the city, but few are as splendid or as awe-inspiring as the stunning museum with its full-sized, roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Anyone planning a short break in London holiday apartments should really include this magnificent venue in their sightseeing itinerary. Built in 1881 from a design by Alfred Waterhouse, the Natural History Museum represents Victorian architecture at its most exquisite. The gorgeously detailed carvings of fauna and the beautiful painted ceiling of the huge Central Hall are usually not noticed at first, largely because there’s a colossal skeleton of a Diplodocus dominating the room.

Divided into two main areas (the “Life” and “Earth” galleries), the museum is home to a gargantuan collection of minerals, fossils, plants and expertly crafted life-like models of animals.

The Life section contains special galleries for Marine Invertebrates, ‘Creepy Crawlies’, Reptiles and Fish, Dinosaurs, ‘Discovering Mammals’, Human Biology, Ecology and British Natural History. A wander into the basement reveals an enchanting children’s ‘Discovery Centre’. In a separate wing, you’ll find the stunning Earth Galleries; watch out for the awesome ‘Power Within’ exhibit (you could hardly miss it), where you’ll walk through a massive rotating globe and experience a vivid mock-up of a devastating volcanic eruption.

The ‘From the Beginning’ display is a visually astonishing history of the planet – and poses some serious questions about its future. The museum has also recently opened Phase One of its magnificent Darwin Centre, where you’ll discover no less than 22 million zoological specimens.

The Natural History Museum is located in South Kensington’s Cromwell Road. Admission is free and hourly guided tours are available between 11am and 4pm, bookable upon arrival. The Museum is open between 10am and 5.50pm every day and is within easy walking distance of South Kensington underground station. Bus routes 14, 49, 70, 74, 345, 360, 414 and C1 all stop very near the centre.

There are many amazing tourist attractions in this great city, tempting people from far and wide to rent London Holiday Apartments, but the Natural History Museum will come close to the top of everyone’s sightseeing agenda. And the sheer range of London holiday apartments will suit all budgets, from the extravagant to the humble.