Natural History Museum at Tring
Natural History Museum at Tring things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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The Natural History Museum at Tring was the private museum of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild; today it is under the control of the Natural History Museum, London. It houses one of the finest collections of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the United Kingdom.
attractions: Tring Park, Tring Local Museum, restaurants: The Akeman, Black Goo Coffee, Storia Tring, Crockers Tring, The Espresso Lounge ltd, The Black Horse Tring, Tarboush Tring, The Robin Hood, Da Vinci Restaurant Pizzeria, Beans N' Brunch
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The Natural History Museum at Tring was the private museum of Lionel Walter, 2nd Baron Rothschild; today it is under the control of the Natural History Museum, London. It houses one of the finest collections of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the United Kingdom.
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I used to go here as a kid and now took my little one. This is a fantastic free place to visit, although a little donation helps the museum out. I pre booked tickets online to make it easier upon arrival. You can pay a donation online or there are places in the museum you can put some money in. My 2 year old and loved walking around looking at all the animals with her cousin, especially the dogs. As an adult it's still fascinating to look at too. Very educational. We had a lovely morning out and will definitely go back again. We went on Saturday morning and it was very busy, can be a bit of a squeeze to get round in some places but we managed. It has a gift shop which is OK, there isn't a lot of items with Tring museum on for example I wanted a magnet with Tring museum written on it but couldn't find anything like that in there. Car park is free and if the one at the side of the museum fills up they have another just over the road, which has a great little wood walk in between. There are toilets, small cafe and a indoor picnic area located outside in the car park at the side of the building, we got a take out drink and sausage roll and sat in the picnic area to eat our other lunch bits we brought with us. This can fill up quite quick too. The cafe sells sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, pasties, cakes, biscuits and more. It's reasonably price for this day and age but don't go in expecting Greg's prices. The staff got some abuse about being expensive but I think people forget this isn't a chain cafe, and prices reflect the current day rise in everything. I would highly recommend a visit.
Nik CNik C
30
If you're looking for a great way to spend the day/couple of hours with kids or just by yourself go to Tring museum. Book online for free entry. There is parking on a side road but also a car park right next to the Museum. I went with my daughter and her friend. There are clipboards available and slips of paper to draw or make your own activity (Alphabet game or you can buy slips of paper already prepared for £1 - visually colourful and suitable for younger kids). The girls (mine especially) were a bit squeamish at first and also emotionally about the animals having died but both were appreciative of the chance to see such animals so close up and understanding that some my be extinct by the time they have kids. 😔 I found the museum calm (apart from my shrieking girls, especially upstairs by the fishes). They didn't want to enter at first but we made it through and they both were glad they saw everything. Due to the age of the building and steps, most parts are not suitable for wheelchair users. There are toilets which are handy and a small gift shop. Outside there was a nice guy selling delicious ice cream... a great way to end your trip. Only thing is I wish the girl at the front desk had mentioned there were children's activities on and at what time as the girls were disappointed to to have missed the opportunity to make a butterfly 🦋 This isn't a deal breaker but something to take on board for staff. Staff were approachable if a bit quiet. The girls said they would like to visit again so I'll plan a trip for next year. 👍🏽
Raj K SRaj K S
20
Very interesting museum that's part of the natural history museum in London. The best way to summarise this place is that it's the Pitt rivers of zoology. It's a Victorian style museum in an old building housing Walt rothschild's collection. There's 3 floors with 7 rooms to see. It's organised using some strange method but essentially you'll see a load of stuffed or model creatures crammed inside a glass display similar to Pitt rivers. It's interesting for the shear number and variety on display, including many extinct and historically inaccurate models such as the reunion island dodo. There's a huge model of a giant armadillo that's the size of a modern mini car, and a cast of the skeleton of a giant sloth that's the size of an elephant. It's interesting to see the variety of the animals from the same family together, you get a sense of the difference in size and body shape, so it's clear how much bigger a tiger is compared to a lion. Also you can see how long an anaconda is, including a rolled out leather skin stretching across a display. Interesting for kids and fascinating for adults. There is free parking on site but there are limited spaces, there is a nearby car park in walking distance, otherwise you have to park in the town. The cafe is pretty small but there is ample picnic spaces. Worth a visit, highly recommended.
Mister EdMister Ed
10
Having visited the Kensington museum multiple times and loved it, I've had Tring on my bucket list for ages. Definitely worth a visit if you're interested in animals and the process of taxidermy. There were lots of children when we went and I'm just not sure there's enough there to keep them interested, it's definitely ideal for an older, scientific audience. I love seeing the huge collection of species of display, and especially the way they've positioned the taxidermys to show real situations (e.g. owls holding mice). Really well displayed and so much bigger than I expected. The history of the site was very interesting and I really liked learning about Rothschild, while I don't agree with his ethics and the stuff that happened then wouldn't happen nowadays. I think the museum has done a fantastic job at honouring his mission. They also had a wildlife photography exhibition on which was really interesting, overall a really enjoyable visit! I will definitely return on a quieter day when the kids are at school. The car park is quite small and we did have to wait for a spot but we visited during the Christmas holidays so it was busier than usual.
alex meldrumalex meldrum
00
We loved it here. We attended for the first time this week. They were holding a museum by torchlight event so we went mid afternoon and stayed for the event that started at 5pm. This place was easy to find and we found a parking space in the carpark with no problems. As we arrived staff were welcoming and friendly. We collected a trail map from the shop (£1) and entered gallery 1 - wow! Our two children (7&4) stopped and literally just stared at the polar bear as you enter, they both looked around in amazement, to be honest they were not alone - the animals were quite amazing. We have seen some taxidermy before but nothing on this scale and not the animals that are here. It's an amazing collection. We wondered round and spent lots of time looking at all sorts, we found the dogs upstairs especially interesting. My 7 year old was fasincated with the video about taxidermy - it wasnt for me though 🤢 Just before 5pm we went downstairs and watched staff turn the lights off, we then re entered the gallery's with our torches - it was creepy and eerie but pretty special. We all loved it and will definitely return again soon.
Kirsty HawkesKirsty Hawkes
00
Several rooms of the most amazing stuffed animals in glass cases. Not much info about any animals, though they are labelled/ identified, just a bit about Rothschild. Lovely open space across the road with cow pats, grasses, microscopic flowers and weeds (and nettles and brambles) and dog roses and elder and some mixed woodland with a surprising number of box in one area and yews in another. The café appears to be closed at the moment and the little museum is fully pre-booked to October, so if you rock up on the off chance, be prepared to do something else instead. Might be better than enormous cases of the most beautiful tiny dead stuffed hummingbirds anyway! If you do get in, it's unlikely to be more than an hour or so going around. 15mins if you have short attention span micro-speedies with you, who've perhaps visited similar before. Parking by museum, across the way in Tring Park, and also in the town centre. A few picnic benches by the museum, and plenty of eateries in town a few minutes walk away.
Tara FurlongTara Furlong
20
Nearby Attractions Of Natural History Museum at Tring
Tring Park
Tring Local Museum
Tring Park
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(149)Click for details
Tring Local Museum
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(24)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Natural History Museum at Tring
The Akeman
Black Goo Coffee
Storia Tring
Crockers Tring
The Espresso Lounge ltd
The Black Horse Tring
Tarboush Tring
The Robin Hood
Da Vinci Restaurant Pizzeria
Beans N' Brunch
The Akeman
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(649)$$
Click for details
Black Goo Coffee
4.6
(345)$$
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Storia Tring
4.7
(196)Click for details
Crockers Tring
4.8
(175)Click for details
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Overview
4.7
(1.8K reviews)
Phone
+44 20 7942 6171
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Website
nhm.ac.uk
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