The Museum's collections are spread across three sites.
- South Kensington, London - housing most staff and collections
- Tring in Hertfordshire - housing the Bird Group and collections
- Offsite store in south London - access is limited so must be discussed with your host.
Opening hours
The collections are open by prior appointment only, between the core hours of 10.00 to 16.00, Monday to Friday except public holidays, with local arrangements for closure over lunchtime.
The Library and Archives public reading room are open Tuesday to Thursday from 10.00-16.00.
Entrance and meeting points
Entrance to the Natural History Museum and meeting points are as follows:
South Kensington, London
Collections visitors should enter the Museum via the Staff and Departmental Visitors entrance on Exhibition Road and report to the visitor reception desk. A member of staff will issue you a visitor pass and contact your host to come to meet you, or you may be directed to an appropriate meeting point:
- The giant sloth (beside the main door to the Palaeontology building)
- The General Library door (with visitor doorbell)
- The Darwin Centre (outside the Attenborough Studio)
Visitors unfamiliar with the route will be issued with a map guiding them to one of these meeting points.
Tring in Hertfordshire
Collections visitors should enter the Museum via the glass doors at the back of the car park and make themselves known at the Control Room hatch. Your host will then come to meet you or you may be directed to an appropriate meeting point.
Off-site store in South London
Collections visitors will be advised by their host as to where they should meet.