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(Claw of Baryonyx walkeri) Baryonyx means 'heavy claw'. Unusually for a carnivorous dinosaur we know it ate fish as scientists have found fish scales and teeth with its fossil where its stomach would have been.

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Terracotta Tour

This building owes its existence to the passion and vision of Richard Owen, who took over as superintendent of the Natural History Departments at the British Museum in 1856. Owen was unhappy with the cramped storage conditions for the ever-growing collection of natural history specimens, and began a campaign for a separate building that would house this national treasure. Helping him to realise this project was an up-and-coming young architect, Alfred Waterhouse.

When this extraordinary building opened in 1881, it was hailed as ‘a true temple of nature’ and ‘the animal’s Westminster Abbey’.

This tour tells you about the Museum’s creation and highlights some of the details that are often overlooked.

Books and gifts
If you’re interested in knowing more about the design of the Natural History Museum, related books and gifts are available in the Museum Shop .

Cathedral of Nature

Find out why the Central Hall is testament to the vision of the Museum's founder, Richard Owen.

Design

Finalising the design for the building was a long process. Discover what inspired and influenced Waterhouse along the way.

Central Hall arches

Take a look at Waterhouse's stunning Central Hall arches featuring terracotta ornamental examples of the Museum's collection..

Terracotta ornaments

Waterhouse's plan to clad the entire building in terracotta was pioneering and a world first. See how terracotta ornaments are sculpted and used in the Museum.

North Hall

Explore the statues, stained glass windows and intricately painted ceiling panels in the North Hall.

Column designs

Some columns in the Museum exhibit patterns similar to those found on fossil trees. Watch video and read more about the inspiration behind Waterhouse's columns and ornaments.

Around the balconies

Learn about the magnificent 'flying staircase' and what influenced the ceiling design of the balcony.

Minerals Gallery

Explore the Minerals Gallery with its columns and ornaments. Of all the Museum's galleries, this one most faithfully retains Waterhouse's original vision.

The Dodo

Many images of the Dodo are not very accurate, including Waterhouse's terracotta ornament. Take a look at his dodo and watch a video that explains the issues.

Functional design

Waterhouse made artistic features out of even the most basic practical fittings. Discover more about these functional yet innovative structures, and go behind the scenes of the Museum's Herbarium.

Ceiling arches

Five iron arches span the Central Hall, each an integral part of the building's framework. Listen to Museum botanist Sandy Knapp talk about the significance of the plants on the ceiling panels in this video.

Open to all

Find out about the ambition to make the Museum accessible to a wide audience, and how this affected its design.

Extinct giants

Owen's desire to display large specimens dictated the scale of the museum. Take a look at some of the Museum's terracotta highlights.

The view from outside

Take a look at the Museum from the outside. For Waterhouse, the surrounding landscape was just as important as the building itself.

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