The Natural History Museum in London is set to reopen a historic gallery that has been closed to the public for 83 years. The space, which has been off-limits since 1943 during the Second World War, will welcome visitors again starting September 16.
The newly unveiled exhibition, titled "Nature and Us," will feature 50 objects that explore humanity's evolving connection with the natural world. Highlights include a miniature model of a Crystal Palace dinosaur, a monk seal skeleton named Jenny, a Star Wars toy from the 1980s covered in marine organisms, and a 400,000-year-old hand axe. A replica jaw bone from one of Britain's oldest known domesticated dogs, dating back approximately 14,300 years, will also be available for visitors to touch.
This reopening is part of the museum's NHM150 transformation program, which aims to unveil a new or refurbished gallery each year leading up to its 150th anniversary in 2031. The gallery, located on the second floor of the Waterhouse building in South Kensington, previously housed skeleton and mammal displays. Following wartime damage to the museum's herbarium, it was converted into storage for botanical collections. Many of the original wooden herbarium cabinets are still present, offering a glimpse into the space's scientific past.
Dr. Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, expressed his enthusiasm for the reopening, stating, "Reopening this remarkable gallery is an exciting moment for the museum. For the first time in over 80 years, visitors will be able to step into this beautiful historic space and explore our changing relationship with the natural world. It's another important step in our NHM150 transformation as we create new spaces that inspire people to become advocates for the planet."
The exhibition is scheduled to run for an initial 18 months. Visitors will be invited to share their feedback to help shape the permanent version of the gallery, which is slated to open in 2029.
The Natural History Museum recently surpassed the British Museum as the UK's most popular tourist attraction. In 2025, it welcomed 7.1 million visitors, a record for any museum or gallery in a single year and a 13 percent increase from the previous year. This follows figures from March by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) that identified the Natural History Museum as the top attraction for 2025, having previously seen 6.3 million visitors in 2024.