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Natural History Museum: the 3-hour route
Free to walk in — so the real questions are why you should still book a free slot, which entrance to use, and when to see the dinosaurs.
Visitor information checked 24 September 2026 · prices and hours change
The video gives you the verdict and the viewpoints in under five minutes. This page has the numbers that change — prices, hours, rules — and the map pins.
Worth it? Yes, if you give it about three hours, book the free ticket and follow the route: Earth Hall first, then Hope the blue whale, then the dinosaurs early or late.
Skip the inside if you only have an hour on a school-holiday afternoon. Enjoy the building from the garden instead, and come back when you can do it properly.
Five mistakes people make here
- Walking up without the free ticketEntry is free, but visitors who haven't booked are let in only if there's capacity. The free ticket is a timed slot: arrive 20 minutes early — latecomers may be refused.
- Paying a third-party site for "entry tickets"General admission is free. The museum's terms say a ticket resold for profit is void.
- Doing the dinosaurs at middayThe museum itself calls Dinosaurs one of its busiest galleries. Go at 10am or after 4pm. The animatronic T. rex closes for servicing every September (7–25 September).
- Looking for the ice rinkIt's closed for good — the land is now the new wildlife gardens. Many sites still list it.
- Using the West Entrance lateIt closes at 5pm, nearly an hour before the museum does.
Our route — about three hours
This order is our recommendation, built on the museum's own routes and its note about the Dinosaurs queue. The museum doesn't say one entrance queues less.
- Enter at the East Entrance on Exhibition Road — the museum's own starting point for adults.
- Earth Hall — Sophie the Stegosaurus, then the escalator up through the metal globe.
- Volcanoes and Earthquakes (second floor) — the Kobe earthquake simulator. The museum warns it may be triggering for some visitors.
- Hintze Hall — Hope the blue whale, 25.2 m long. See it from the first-floor balconies too.
- Dinosaurs — at 10am or after 4pm, when the queue is shortest.
- The Vault (first floor) and the gardens — go before 4pm, when the Nature Discovery Garden closes.
What's free and what isn't
| Highlight | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hintze Hall and Hope the blue whale | Free | Permanent |
| Dinosaurs gallery and the animatronic T. rex | Free | T. rex closed 7–25 September for its annual service |
| Earth Hall, Volcanoes and Earthquakes, The Vault | Free | Permanent |
| Darwin Centre Cocoon | Free | Can close at the last minute |
| Evolution Garden and Nature Discovery Garden | Free | No ticket needed at all |
| Wildlife Photographer of the Year | £17 / £19 / £21 adult | Off-peak / standard / peak · child £8.50–£10.50 · 16 Oct 2026 – 11 Jul 2027 |
| Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep | £15 / £17.50 adult | Off-peak / standard · child £7.50–£8.75 · until 3 Jan 2027 |
| Visions of Nature (mixed reality) | £9.95 | Age 10+ only · until 3 Jan 2027 |
The museum asks for a donation when you book the free ticket but doesn't set an amount. Ticketed exhibitions include museum entry afterwards. Members go free.
Practical details
Find it — map pins
- Natural History MuseumCromwell Road, SW7 5BD
- South Kensington subwayThe covered, step-free route from the station to the Central Entrance
- Nature Discovery GardenFree, usually the quietest garden · closes 4pm
- Science MuseumNext door
- Victoria and Albert MuseumAcross Exhibition Road
What to take
The cloakroom charges per item and can fill up, so the less you carry the better.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are paid links: if you buy through one, WanderSmart Guide may earn a commission. We only list kit that answers a rule or a problem on this page, and we never quote prices — Amazon's change constantly.
- Foldable backpack paid linkCarry your coat and water round with you instead of paying to check them in.
- Travel power bank paid linkThree hours of photos and maps on a phone — the museum has 24 free audio guides online too.
The rest of the kit
- Sun hat paid link
- Rain poncho paid link
- Sunscreen paid link
- Headphones paid link
- Earbuds paid link
- Budget earbuds paid link
- Budget headphones paid link
- Universal travel adapter paid link
- Wireless charging station paid link
- Carry-on bag paid link
- Suitcase paid link
Nearby
Walking times are our estimates. Pair the museum with one of its neighbours, not both — three big museums in a day is where people stop looking at anything.
- Science Museum3–5 min · free, booking recommended · daily 10am–6pm
- Victoria and Albert Museum5 min · free · Fridays until 10pm
- Royal Albert Hall10–12 min
- Kensington Gardens12–15 min · Albert Memorial, Italian Gardens
Book direct
- Free entry ticket — official
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year
- Jurassic Oceans
- Accessibility
- Facilities and cloakroom
We link to official booking pages, never resellers.