Find out what’s on this September, October and November. With spooky openings, guided tours and fabulous photography, there’s an activity for everyone!
Last updated 1 September 2025
Discover the natural world in all its wonder and diversity at our Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. The 100 remarkable photographs on display illustrate the precious beauty of our planet.
Opens Friday 17 October
Non-members: from £15.50
Members: free
This Halloween we creak open our doors for an evening of beastly boogies and scary specimens. Celebrate the spookiest night of the year with a live band performing in our hallowed halls, a silent disco and a host of ghostly activities.
Friday 31 October, 19:00–00:00
Non-members: from £45
Members: from £40.50
Explore our Dinosaurs Gallery before it opens to the public for the day with our Out of Hours Dino Tour. Our knowledgeable guides will answer all your questions while you get up close with spectacular skeletons and extraordinary fossils in our world-famous gallery. Plus, get to roar at our almost life-sized animatronic T. rex.
Various dates, 09:00–09:45
Non-members: £30
Members: £24
From the awe-inspiring blue whale skeleton suspended from our ceiling to the largest blue topaz gemstone of its kind, the specimens we care for are full of wonder. Join us for an hour-long tour of our most iconic specimens and get to know our best of the best. This tour is also available in Spanish and Turkish.
Non-members: £20
Members: £16
Take a deep breath and stretch out in Hintze Hall underneath Hope our blue whale at our morning yoga class hosted in collaboration with East of Eden. After finishing the session with a live gong bath, you’ll get to explore our galleries before we open to the public for the day.
Sunday 26 October and Sunday 30 November
Non-members: £36
Members: £32
Join us as we try to answer the big question – are we alone in the universe? Smell planets, touch parts of our solar system, design your own space mission and see what scientists believe could be out there in our exhibition Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?
Non-members: from £14
Members: free
Okay so it’s not new, new, its actually around 152–145 million years old, but Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae is new for us. This two-legged herbivore has only been officially recognised by science this year, and we’re lucky enough to have one on permanent display in our Earth Hall.
Standing at around half a metre tall, this little dinosaur would have been found darting around the floodplains of the western USA alongside giants such as Diplodocus and Stegosaurus.
Earth Hall Mezzanine
Free, permanent
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and follow the story of how life on Earth has changed over time in our gardens. Take a moment to watch the leaves fall and contemplate a future that works for both people and the planet.
Open daily, free
Watch as the walls and floor burst into life around you in our new 360° experience Our Story with David Attenborough. Reflecting on his lifetime exploring the planet, Sir David shares its wonders as well as a personal message of hope. Leave feeling empowered to help write the next chapter in our story.
Non-members: from £20
Members: from £10
Sign up for one of our new Naturally Curious short courses and learn about the natural world from our world-renowned experts. Whether it’s Rocks in Space or Dinosaurs 101, we’ve got something for every curious mind!
Tuesday 21 October is Reptile Awareness Day, giving you the perfect reason to encounter some of the most weird and wonderful species in our Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles Gallery.
Free, permanent
It’s International Coffee Day on Wednesday 1 October, so take the opportunity to get cosy with a cup in our Central Cafe. Plus, you can enjoy a selection of sandwiches and salads or tuck into crisps, cakes, pastries and fruit along with our free and fast Wi-Fi.
When you think of a sloth, often a slow-moving, bleary-eyed, tree-dwelling creature comes to mind, but what about their predecessors? The giant ground sloth was up to 10 times the size of sloths today and could weigh up to four tonnes, almost the same as a male elephant. Stood on its back legs, it would have stood a whopping 3.5 metres tall.
You can see our giant sloth skeleton cast at the end of our Fossil Marine Reptiles Gallery.
Free, permanent
The food we eat, the energy we consume and the stuff we use can tell us a lot about the impact we’re having on the natural world and the opportunities we have to save it. Visit our newest gallery to discover practical, nature-based solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our world today.
Permanent
Free
Watch a tree grow in a matter of seconds and come face-to-face with a beluga whale in our mixed reality experience. Don your headset and be transported to the year 2125 where you’ll discover how making positive changes now can shape the future of the natural world.
Open daily
Non-members: £9.95
Members: £7.95
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