Natural History Museum

One place that has long been on our bucket list is the Natural History Museum. We were not disappointed in any way! The building exterior is a wonder in it's own right, with detail in every inch of it combining together to create a wonderful sight.

We arrived before it opened so that we could get inside ahead of the crowds. Of course, the first thing you see when you enter is Dippy, the diplodocus skeleton that takes up much of the hall. This thing is massive, but also somehow cute - perhaps that's just the name making its mark. Immediately you are confronted with the sheer size of the dinosaurs, and it only builds the excitement for the rest of the museum. Around the edges of this hall are alcoves, within which are displays of other animals such as giant emus.

We head out of this main hall and into the Human Biology section, simply because that's the direction we walked in. This exhibit is an incredible educational tool. Every single part of the human body and how it is developed is shown and discussed. If a parent ever wanted to avoid the 'birds and the bees' talk, they could simply take their children there for half an hour, and answer any lingering questions at the end. We all had a little giggle at a 3D model showing sexual intercourse, and another showing the reproductive structures light up when you press certain buttons. I was very impressed by the section on child birth - it was so blunt and honest and truthful, and seemed to ignore any taboos that might otherwise inhibit the information being presented. There was also a fun section of mirrors that warped your body, and a few interactive sections to do with sight, memory, and the other senses.

From here we entered a long hall full of taxidermied animals from around the world. We noticed that some seemed very old and faded, then noticed a sign saying these were originals from the museum and would not be replaced as that would promote the killing of potentially and actually endangered animals. I applaud the museum for this decision!

We then went off to experience the virtual reality session. It involved sitting in a theatre and donning a set of the Samsung Gear VR (amusingly people were pushing in and getting cranky about not getting into the theatre first). The show was about marine life during the Cambrian period, narrated by David Attenborough. Sitting there in a room full of people, yet being completely on your own inside your virtual reality was a surreal and fun experience. The design of the show meant you had to twist and turn to see everything 'around' you, and to follow the sea life as they swim by. It was a little confronting to have no sense of what was happening around you in the real world, and to realise you are actually sitting still even though the vision and sounds from the headset indicate you are moving. It makes me keen to find more such shows!

Next up was the real purpose of our visit - the dinosaur hall. The lights were not particularly suited to good photo-taking, a serious disappointment in my mind, but it did add to the mystery and excitement of coming face-to-face with these giant creatures. There were skeletons, life-size models, animated life-size models, information signs,  and more to look at than the crowds would allow for. We spent a good hour or so in here alone, as you would expect, and it was absolutely incredible. You always hear/read/see about how large the dinosaurs were, but there is nothing like standing next to them and experiencing it for yourself. I honestly couldn't imagine what the world was like with these gigantors roaming around.

After this, the rest of the trip is a bit of a blur. We explored as many of the room as we could, but by mid-afternoon we were so overwhelmed we felt like we couldn't take much more in, even with a break for lunch. I do remember the giant sloth skeleton, so large we could all have fit comfortable on his back to ride along, with room to spare, or perhaps to lie down on.

There was also an exhibit dedicated to the environment and climate, with these super cute Earth's  talking about the ozone layer and sun.

In one hall was a giant escalator. It rose up about 2 storeys high, and halfway up you enter into the centre of a giant planet. With my love of heights, it was quite a nerve-racking journey, one that I couldn't look down or really to the side during. It was surreal to be surrounded by a planet though, it was a very effective exhibit.

One of my favourite pieces was this one. It was a tree, absolutely covered in texidermied birds. You could stand for a solid 10 minutes looking at it and not spot every bird, each in it's own position.

 There was a geology room, admittedly not of huge interest to me. It might be on another day, but by this point we were wilting, so it was hard to be excited about rock formations, even if they were very pretty, and there was a cool lava suit on display.

This was also really pretty - each piece is a different type of marble. It was originally made as a table, but later converted to this display to better see it.

One of my favourite rooms was one filled with gemstones. There would have been hundreds of them, in all shapes and sizes, cut and uncut to showcase each unique property of each unique type of stone. Unfortunately for me the pictures I took on my phone from here were lost when I lost about a month's worth. I guess I'll just have to go back and take some more!

Back out of the exhibition rooms and into the upper balcony of the main hall we went, to discover this gigantic slice of the Giant Sequoia Tree. It showcases just how large trees could get if we let them, and if they don't succumb to diseases or pests.

Turn around, and you find the glory of the main hall. Every inch of the roof is decorated, and the walls are just as beautiful.

After spending some time in the gift shop, we finally leave this enormous museum. It absolutely beats the one we had in Brisbane hands down. We spent most of a day here and didn't get to see it all. We will be back again to see the rest!