Museum information
We are one of the leading natural history museums in the world, a global leader in scientific research. One of the most popular visitors attractions in the UK, we welcome 5 million visitors a year.
Get an overview of the Museum's main staff departments, the work we do here and the collections we house. Find out about our aims and vision as an organisation.
Our sites
The Museum looks after 70 million natural history specimens and 6 million rare books and manuscripts, at our site in South Kensington, our branch in Tring, and our outstation at Wandsworth.
Our aim
We aim to share our knowledge of the natural world by engaging people's curiosities. We want people to enjoy the wonders of the natural world today and at the same time take responsibility for the future of our planet.
Future vision
The Museum continues to be a driving force for cutting-edge science. Having completed its major Darwin Centre development, there are ongoing plans to open new permanent galleries, develop the Central Hall, improve the care of collections, and expand business ventures such as publishing and our extensive picture library resource.
Museum staff
There are approximately 850 staff at the Museum. The 2 largest strategic groups are the Public Engagement Group and Science Group.
Public Engagement Group has about 350 staff working on a broad range of commercial and communication-led activities such as:
- exhibition, talks, tours, shows, films
- daily gallery educational activities and special events
- visitor services
- web development
- publishing
- membership
- conferences
- commercial filming
- image hire
Science Group consists of 6 departments Botany, Entomology, Mineralogy, Palaeontology, Zoology, and Library and Information Services. Science Group employs around 400 scientific researchers, curators and other staff.
As well as looking after the collection of 70 million specimens, our scientists carry out scientific research in a huge variety of areas including the following:
- taxonomy
- solar system science
- human origins
- oil exploration
- ore prospecting
- evolution
- biodiversity
- parasites
- tropical forest ecology
International scientific collaboration
The Science Group collaborates internationally on research, collections and information resources, helping to improve work in conservation and sustainable development. It has one of the world's leading science libraries and is active in developing new databases and information resources.
Please visit the science department sections in the Research and Curation section for more information on the work they do:
