Christmas is upon us and it looks like it'll be wet rather than white, but no matter, the Museum is full of seasonal sparkle inside and out. If you are planning to visit over the festive period, remember we are closed for 3 days on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day - yes the dinosaurs and others get a few days a year all to themselves! Browse our Festive Season pages for more information about what's on.

But remember our outdoor ice rink and cafe bar are only closed on Chrismtas Day, so check the Ice Rink website for opening times before coming. It's an especially magical experience at dusk or night-time.

Step in out of the cold and you'll find last-minute Christmas presents and new year inspiration in the Museum shops and along the corridors, admire our colourful bauble-crunching dino displays.

This year, you can book free tickets in advance for the Dinosaurs gallery (except for the 3 days we're closed). And as you leave the Dinosaurs, stop and have a look at the new Piltdown Man Hoax display case - while trying to avoid any little ones rushing off into the Dino Store which happens to be opposite.

Another treat at Christmas is the chance to see Dippy, our Central Hall Diplodocus skeleton being lit up when a donation is made to our Central Hall renovation appeal. And I strongly recommend you venture up the Central Hall's grand staircase to explore the beasts and beauties (below) of our Treasures exhibition in the newly-opened Cadogan Gallery. It's free to visit.

Look out for some of the most unforgettable wintry images like the gorgeous Moonset at sunrise image (below) in the ticketed Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition and over in the Red Zone's Earth galleries, don't miss a trip up the Globe escalator as you gaze at the celestial map above.

On that celestial note, it just remains for me to wish you a wonderful Christmas time and very prosperous new year.