Towards the Natural History Museum’s new collections, science and digitisation centre

We’re embarking on a new era of exploration and discovery with the biggest collections move in our history.

With over 80 million objects representing planetary to microscopic scales across billions of years, the collections are a powerful scientific tool. For people and planet to thrive, we must harness this power and secure the collections for future generations.

The NHM Unlocked programme will deliver a new collections, science and digitisation centre, which will be a gateway to the natural world. The centre will help to expand access to vital scientific information and develop novel analytical technologies to understand our changing planet.

The centre will be based at Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, Wokingham. We have chosen to position this new centre at the heart of one of the UK’s leading technology and innovation hubs, with close links to the University of Reading. We will build on existing partnerships and develop new ones to maximise the impact of collections-based research. As a world-leading science research centre, we are delighted to enter into a partnership with another organisation whose mission has environmental research and education at its core.

The 28 million specimens due to be housed at the centre will sit alongside innovative digital, analytical and genomic technologies and facilities. The centre will enable researchers from around the world to tackle urgent environmental issues and address global challenges, from tracking genetic responses to climate change to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases.

Our new facility paves the way for transformative change at our South Kensington site. By relocating such extensive collections, two galleries that closed in 1948 and 2004 will be reopened. Transforming these areas back into public spaces can help us create more advocates for the planet.

Which collections are moving?

In addition to new collections storage facilities, the energy-efficient, net-zero building will house state-of-the-art laboratories for molecular biology, conservation and specimen preparation. There will also be cryo-facilities for tissue storage, digitisation suites, collaborative research spaces, computing clusters and workspaces. These will be available for Museum scientists and visiting researchers.

Collections that will be at the science centre include fossil invertebrates, mammals, zoology, invertebrates, fossil invertebrates, fossil mammals, micropaleontology, molecular, ocean bottom deposits and the associated library material for these collections.

Changes to collections access

As we prepare for this move, access to staff and collections across all sites will be affected. The following collections already have restrictions in place:

• Mammal collections
• Fossil mammal collection
• Fossil primate collection
• Palaeoanthropology collection
• Human comparative collection
• London human remains collection

Our Digital Collections are, as always, openly accessible via our Data Portal.

Collaborative solutions for nature

Tackling the planetary emergency requires global collaboration. Our science is outward-facing and responsive, working across disciplines and delivering impact in areas of public and industrial need.

You can explore our digital collection through the Museum’s Data Portal, as well as the Museum’s Library & Archives collections.

This is a long-term project to secure the future of the collections