Dawnosaurs visual guide

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Overview

Welcome to our Dawnosaurs visual guide. This is a step-by-step visual guide to help you plan your visit to our Dawnosaurs event. Some sections of the guide will be updated with event-specific information closer to the time.

We do our best to open a variety of areas for Dawnosaurs. However, staff levels early in the morning mean we can’t open the whole Museum.

To keep the experience varied, we rotate what areas are open throughout the year.

Open spaces

Galleries and spaces that will be open during your visit:

East Wing

Lasting Impressions

East Learning Space (Sensory Room)

Earth Hall Volcanoes and Earthquakes

From The Beginning

Restless Surface

Earth’s Treasury

Human Evolution

Central Building

Investigate Centre

Birds

Central Cafe from 09:00

Fossil Marine Reptiles

Hintze Hall Ground Floor

Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep

Dinosaurs

Central Shop

Hintze Hall Floor 1

Hintze Hall Floor 2

Minerals

The Vault

Treasures

Giant Sequoia

North Wing

Mammals Hall

Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles

Contemplation Room

Marine Invertebrates

East Wing

  • Lasting Impressions
  • Earth Hall

Central Building

  • Birds Gallery
  • Central Cafe (from 09:00)
  • Fossil Marine Reptiles Gallery
  • Hintze Hall Ground Floor
  • Hintze Hall Floor 1
  • Dinosaurs Gallery
  • Museum Shop

North Wing

  • Contemplation Room
  • Mammals Hall
  • Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles Gallery

West Wing

  • Shake Bar

Museum Gardens

  • Nature Discovery Garden
  • Evolution Garden
  • Nature Activity Centre (sensory space)

Closed spaces

These galleries and spaces will be closed during your visit:

East Wing

Flett Events Theatre

Earth Hall Shop

Earth Hall Cafe

Central Building

T. Rex Restaurant

Picnic Area

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Fixing Our Broken Planet

Images of Nature

West Wing

Shake Bar

Cocoon

Darwin Centre

Attenborough Studio

Visions of Nature

Zoology Spirit Building

Museum Gardens

Garden Kitchen

Nature Discovery Garden

Evolution Garden

Nature Activity Centre

East Wing

  • Flett Events Theatre
  • Pokemon Shop
  • Volcanoes and Earthquakes Gallery
  • From the Beginning Gallery
  • Restless Surface Gallery
  • Earth’s Treasury
  • Human Evolution Gallery
  • Earth Hall Cafe

Central Building

  • T.Rex Restaurant
  • Treasures (Cadogan Gallery)
  • Picnic Area
  • Investigate Centre
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year
  • Hintze Hall Floor 2
  • Minerals Gallery
  • The Vault
  • Giant Sequoia
  • Fixing Our Broken Planet Gallery
  • Images of Nature
  • Our Story with David Attenborough

North Wing

  • Marine Invertebrates Gallery

West Wing

  • Cocoon
  • Darwin Centre
  • Attenborough Studio
  • Visions of Nature
  • Zoology Spirit Building

Museum Gardens

  • Garden Cafe

Arrival

East Entrance

On the morning of the event, arrive for the entry time shown on your ticket at our East Entrance on Exhibition Road. There may be a short queue to get inside.

If you’re unable to wait in queues for long periods, speak to our security staff and they’ll fast track your entry.

side on view of the East Entrance on Exhibition Road. A door underneath a pillared building opens onto a paved street. There are Metal queue barriers and brown and yellow signage on the side of the building.
Front on view of the East Entrance on Exhibition Road. A door underneath a pillared building opens onto a paved street. There are Metal queue barriers and brown and yellow signage on the side of the building.

Arriving inside

Once inside you’ll see a registration desk, where our staff will welcome you. Have your ticket ready to show them.

They can also help you with other access requirements, such as requests for ear defenders.

Maps will be available to help guide you around the Museum and there will also be signage.

Near the registration desk there’s an accessible toilet, baby changing room and free cloakroom where you can leave your bags and coats. There are lifts to the Ground Floor of the building.

A woman sits at a desk with a Black tablecloth with 5 piles paper on top. Behind the desk there are two open toilet doors.
A set of steps behind the donation box leads to an arched hallway with Sophie the Stegosaurus on it

Staff and Volunteers

Some of our staff will be wearing green uniforms with the logo of the Museum in blue. Some of our staff won’t be in a uniform but will be wearing a lanyard around their neck.

Some of our staff will be using radios to communicate, so you might hear them during your visit.

There may also be cleaners working around the Museum during your visit.

A staff member wearing a blue vest on top of a green long-sleeve shirt stands at one of our galleries
A staff member faces the camera as she wears a blue t-shirt with the Natural History Museum logo on it. Next to her, another staff member stands with his back to the camera as he wears a long sleeve shirt of the same colour and the word Volunteer written on it
A staff member smiles as she wears a green t-shirt and cap with the Natural History Museum logo on them

Museum layout

Map of the Ground Floor of the Museum, including the names of the galleries and icons representing cafes, baby changing rooms and toilets.

The Museum is split into four sections – Central Building, West Wing, East Wing and North Wing. You can download a PDF of the Museum map. 

East Wing

Our East Wing is made of three floors.

Detailed map of the Ground Floor of the East Wing showing the step-free access East Entrance on Exhibition Road, Earth Hall Cafe, Lasting Impressions, Earth Hall, East Learning Space, Human Evolution and the Mezzanine. Icons indicate where different facilities are, as well as a number 5 indicating Sophie the Stegosaurus next to the escalator.

Ground floor of our East Wing. Number 5 indicates the location of Sophie the Stegosaurus.

The ground floor contains the Earth Hall, the Human Evolution Gallery and the Lasting Impressions Gallery.

Detailed map of Floor 1 of our East Wing shows Earth's Treasury, From the Beginning, a foyer and the Flett Events Theater. It also shows the lift, two sets of stairs and a number 7 indicating the location of our Enigmacursor.

Floor 1 of our East Wing. Number 7 indicates the location of Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae.

A detailed map of Floor 2 of our East Wing shows the Volcanoes and Earthquakes galleries with a number 9 on it, as well as the Restless Surface Gallery, the lift, two sets of stairs and the escalator.

Floor 2 of our East Wing. Number 9 indicates the location of our Volcano and earthquake experience.

Sensory Space

The sensory space can be found on the Ground Floor in our East Wing, in our East Learning Space.

This drop-in space is designed to be a calm space where you can come and go as you wish.

A spacious classroom with soft mats and beanbags scattered across the floor. Along the back wall are paintings of insects, a low shelf with books, and a TV screen. Colourful wall murals decorate the space, and a small stuffed toys sit on the mats. Chairs and a table are arranged round the edges of the room.
A spacious classroom with soft mats and beanbags scattered across the floor. Along the back wall are paintings of insects, a low shelf with books, and a TV screen. Colourful wall murals decorate the space, and a small stuffed toys sit on the mats. Chairs and a table are arranged round the edges of the room. In the foreground, a table displays colourful sensory toys and objects, including fidget pieces, textured strips, and small handheld items.

Central Building

Our Central Building is made of four floors, including mezzanine floors.

The Ground Floor contains the Birds Gallery, Marine Fossil Way and Hintze Hall. The third floor contains Minerals Treasures and The Vault. The Investigate Centre in the basement will be open.

This is where you can find the Dinosaurs Gallery, which is open at every Dawnosaurs event.

A detailed map of our Central Building shows Images of Nature, Jerwood Gallery, Mammals, Dinosaurs, Fixing our Broken Planet, Central Cafe, Hintze Hall, T.Rex Restaurant, Fossil Marine Reptiles, Central Shop, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Waterhouse Gallery and Birds. A number 1 indicates the location of our T.Rex in the Dinosaur Gallery, a number 3 indicates Hope the Whale in Hintze Hall, a number 4 indicates our Giant Slot in the Fossil Marine Reptiles Gallery and a number 6 represents Fern the Diplodocus in the Evolution Garden. Icons represent all facilities including cafes, toilets, baby changing rooms, lifts and stairs..

Map of the Ground Floor of our Central Building.

A detailed map of the Lower Ground Floor shows thr Accessible parking indicating that it's pre-booked only. The access to the building leads to the Schools Reception and Picnic Area, where accessible toilets and baby changing facilities are available. The Investigate Centre is pictured at the end of the corridor and next to the stairs.

Map of the Lower Ground Floor.

The Ground Floor is where you can find our Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep exhibition, which will be open during the event. A visual guide for the exhibition is available.

A detailed map of Floor 1 of our Central Building shows the Treasures Gallery, Building Nature's Treasures House, Minerals Gallery and The Vault. Icons indicate where the stairs and lifts are.

Map of Floor 1 of our Central Building.

A detailed map of Floor 2 of our Central Building indicates where The Anning Rooms for Members and Patrons is. Icons indicate where the stairs and lift are, and a number 8 indicates the Giant Sequoia in front of the stairs.

Map of Floor 2 of our Central Building. Number 8 indicates where the Giant Sequoia is.

Hintze Hall

Hintze Hall will be open for Dawnosaurs. Carved into the archways and pillars are sculptures of animals. Here you can see all sorts of specimens, including Hope our blue whale.

This area also has toilets and a giftshop.

Hintze Hall, the large skeleton of Hope the blue whale hangs above a central set of stairs, leading onto a grey tiled floor.

Dinosaurs Gallery

In the Central Building, you’ll also find the Dinosaurs Gallery, where our animatronic T. rex is.

We adjust settings for our moving and audio displays for Dawnosaurs, including turning down the volume of displays and limiting movement. Ask our staff if you have any questions.

An animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex is lit from the front surrounded by model foliage

North Wing

In this area, you’ll find our Changing Places toilet and a Contemplation Room.

A detailed map of the Ground Floor of our North Wing shows the Mammals Hall, where a number 2 indicates our Blue Whale model. The Marine Invertebrates Gallery and the Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles Gallery are also pictured. Icons indicate where the stairs are, as well as our Changing Places toilets, accessible toilets and Contemplation Room.

Map of the Ground Floor of our North Wing. A number 2 indicates where our Blue Whale model is. The lift going to the First Floor of the Mammals Hall is out of service.

A corridor with burgundy walls and pictures mounted along the wall. The door to the contemplation room can be seen in the left of the image.

Our Contemplation Room is in our North Wing. It’s located in the corridor between our Mammals Hall and our Marine Invertebrates Gallery.

Front on view of the Changing places toilet door. An opening in a burgundy corridor leads to a burgundy door with the WC sign on it. The words ‘Changing Places’ are displayed ither side of the opening to the main corridor vertically on pillars.

The Changing Places toilet can be accessed using a RADAR key. Ask our staff for one and they can help you.

West Wing

A detailed map of the Ground Floor of our West Wing shows our Zoology Spirit Building, Visions of Nature, Attenborough Studio, Darwin Centre, Cocoon and Shake Bar. The Coccon is accessed via the lifts near the West Entrance, which is step-free. In the Gardens, the Nature Activity Centre is pictured. Icons indicate where the accessible toilets, stairs and lifts are.

Map of the Ground Floor of our West Wing.

A detailed map of Floor 2 of our West Wing shows the Coccon and its lifts, with writing thta says "visitors will start on the Cocoon’s Level 7 and end on the Cocoon’s Level 5."

Map of Floor 2 of our West Wing.

Museum Gardens

Below is a map showing you the most direct way to reach the Gardens:

Map of the Gound Floor of the Museum showing a red arrow crossing from our East Entrance through our East Wing, Central Building and West Wing until reaching the Museum Gardens through our West Entrance.

Map of our Ground Floor.

A view of the pond with a concrete ledge around it in front of our building.

Pond area in our Nature Discovery Garden.

Sensory Space

For this event, the sensory space can be found in the Nature Activity Centre in the Nature Discovery Gardens.

This drop-in space is designed to be a calm space where you can come and go as you wish.

A beige building with a wooden panelled roof. The words ‘Nature Activity Centre’ are displayed on the front of the building.

External view of our Nature Activity Centre.

Side on view of the Nature Activity Centre. A beige building with a wooden panelled roof. The Building is surrounded by grassy areas, trees, a pavement area and the glass exterior of the Museum can be seen in the background.

View of the entrance to our Nature Activity Centre.

Exhibitions and activities

Exhibitions

We sometimes offer free entrance to one of our paid exhibitions during Dawnosaurs.

For this Dawnosaurs you can visit the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for free. This exhibition is in the Central Building at the end of the Fossil Marine Reptiles Gallery. The Entrance to the exhibition is opposite the Birds Gallery.

There are content warnings for this exhibition. There’ll be a member of staff at the entrance to this exhibition to tell you about these images and where they are in the exhibition. You’ll also receive pre-visit information about this.

There is also a visual guide specifically for Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Activities

We’ll be hosting the following activities at this Dawnosaurs event:

LEGO® Build The Change

Location: Investigate Centre, Lower Ground of our Central Building
08:15, 08:45 and 09:15

We’ve partnered up with the LEGO Group to bring you an exclusive hands-on LEGO® activity as part of the Build the Change program for Dawnosaurs.

Join us to investigate nature up close. Explore what’s hiding in our neighbourhoods and learn what we can do to protect wildlife that’s often overlooked. Get creative with LEGO bricks to build your ideas that help create nature-friendly neighbourhoods.

LEGO workshops tend to be very popular, which can make them busier and louder than other parts of Dawnosaurs. You can leave the activity at any time if it becomes overwhelming.

LEGO is a trademark and copyright of the LEGO Group. ©2025 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Activities

We’ll be hosting the following activities at this Dawnosaurs event:

Draw and explore: Jurassic Ocean Skeletons

Location: Fossil Marine Reptiles
Drop-in until 09:30

Ocean Tales

Location: Central Cafe
Drop-in 08:15, 09:45, 09:15

LEGO® Build The Change: Protect Underwater Worlds

Location: Investigate Centre
Drop-in 08:15, 09:45, 09:15

Science Station

Location: Hintze Hall
Drop-in until 09:30

Map showing where the activities are.
Map showing where the Lego activity is.
Logo in blue letters and white background reading Build the Change
Logo of Lego consisting of white letters bordered in black, then yello and a red background.

Activities

Pond Dipping

Location: Nature Discovery Garden (pond area)  
Drop-in until 9:30

Pollinator Count

Location: Nature Discovery Garden (wildflower turf)
Drop-in until 9:30 

Crafts 

Location: Hintze Hall
Drop-in until 9:30

Our team of learning volunteers will be running a fun craft session.

ARCADE, Casson and Friends 

Location: Nature Discovery Garden (outside Darwin Centre)
8:15 and 9:15

Casson and Friends will be running some joyful dance games for everyone to play.

Facilitators from Casson and Friends wear multicolour t-shirts with the words ARCADE on them.

Dawnosaurs activity map

A map of the Museum with red arrows pointing from the names of the activities towards the spaces where they take place, as listed above.

Facilities

Our Dawnosaurs visitors have access to the following facilities:

  • Cafe
  • Baby changing room
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Changing Places toilet
  • Disabled access lift
  • Giftshop
  • Cloakroom

Check the Museum map or ask our staff for directions to these facilities.

Blue Badge parking

All Blue Badge parking must be booked ahead of the event by emailing [email protected]. We’re unable to accept Blue Badge parking on the morning of your visit if you haven’t booked ahead. Our car park entrance is on Queen’s Gate. Below is a bird’s-eye view of the Museum.

An aerial view of the Museum with a number 1 over the West entrance on Queen’s Gate, a number 2 over the Central Entrance on Cromwell Road and a number 3 over the East Entrance on Exhibition Road. Imperial College Road runs at the back of the Museum on the North side.

1. Queen’s Gate (Blue Badge parking entrance)

2. Central Entrance on Cromwell Road (not in use)

3. East Entrance on Exhibition Road (use this entrance if you’re not parking)

Our Blue Badge parking entrance is on Queen’s Gate. Head towards the gates, where a member of security will be stationed.

They already have your car registration details and will be expecting you. You’ll be asked to confirm your name.

Once through these gates, carry on down the straight road ahead of you until you reach the open courtyard style carpark.

Our security staff will be on hand to help you into our building via a basement entrance. From here there are lifts or stairs up to the main galleries.

The Blue Badge parking entrance on Queen’s Gate, which consists of a grey road surrounded by tall buildings leading to a black gate.

Dawnosaurs 2026 events calendar

  • Saturday 28 February – Up Above: Feathers and Flight
  • Saturday 9 May – Investigators and Close Encounters
  • Saturday 11 July – Summer Special
  • Saturday 10 October – Jurassic Dawnosaurs: Creatures and Currents
  • Saturday 5 December – Fossils and Dinosaurs

Our Dawnosaurs team hope you have a wonderful experience. If you have any questions about the event or want to sign up to our mailing list for updates, contact us at [email protected]

Go back to the Dawnosaurs event page.

An orange circular sticker reads “I’ve been to Dawnosaurs” above the picture of a T. Rex in front of plants and a mountain range.

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