Natural History Museum announces opening date of transformed gardens

The Natural History Museum is pleased to announce its newly transformed gardens will open to big and small explorers on 18 July. The Museum has reimagined the five-acre site into an accessible, free-to-visit green space in the heart of London, as part of its Urban Nature Project.

This summer, visitors can rest, connect with nature and explore the gardens.

Visitors entering the garden from the Exhibition Road area will emerge into the Evolution Garden and begin their journey through 2.7 billion years of history of our planet told through an immersive timeline of plants, geology, and representations of reptiles, birds and mammals.

The Evolution Timeline, supported by the Evolution Education Trust, begins with the awe-inspiring canyon clad in ancient stone collected from across the UK.

A stunning new bronze cast of the Museum's much-loved Diplodocus will take centre stage in a Jurassic garden both supported by Kusuma Trust filled with Wollemi pines, dwarf ginkgos and cycads – flora all chosen to evoke the feel of a landscape in the Jurassic Period.

Over in the west garden towards the Museum’s Darwin Centre, visitors will find the Nature Discovery Garden, supported by The Cadogan Charity. Here, different habitats will showcase the rich biodiversity that can be found in the UK’s urban spaces, and an accessible sunken pathway winds between the ponds, where frogs and newts have already been spotted.

This area will also be home to the Nature Activity Centre, supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS) – a purpose-built space for learning about the nature on our doorstep. It will combine facilities for scientific work, be a training space for future urban ecologists and provide a hub for school workshops in the gardens.

Dr Alex Burch, Director of Public Programmes said, “We cannot wait to welcome all visitors to our completely reimagined gardens this summer.

This is the first time in 140 years that the gardens around our building have been completely transformed. Through two new outdoor galleries – complete with a new resident dinosaur – visitors will explore the incredible story of Earth, stretching back more than 2.7 billion years.

The five acres of gardens provide a wildlife haven in the heart of London. They will be the perfect setting for people to connect with, learn about and cherish the nature to be found in our towns and cities.”

 

As well as somewhere visitors can rest, picnic and learn more about the incredible diversity of life on Earth, this spectacular new space will also be a living laboratory – a hub where Museum scientists and volunteers alike can develop best practices to protect urban nature.

The gardens will be home to scientific sensors gathering environmental DNA and acoustic data, to monitor, understand and protect urban nature. The installation of this new technology and continued data collection will make our gardens one of the most intensively studied urban sites of its kind. The data collected will be curated and combined within the Natural History Museum’s new Data Ecosystem, built using Amazon Web Services (AWS) technologies, which is helping to scale up and accelerate the speed at which our science can happen, and making it easier and quicker for us to reach conclusions and practically support UK urban nature recovery.

Creating a sustainable design that works with the landscape, and taking an ambitious approach to sustainable construction, has been at the heart of the redevelopment.

The Museum’s Wildlife Garden was extended to double the area of native habitats within the grounds, with the aim of better supporting, monitoring and managing the animal and plant life diversity, and the pond area has been increased by 60%.

A wide variety of trusts, foundations, companies and individuals are supporting the Urban Nature Project including Amazon Web Services, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Evolution Education Trust, The Cadogan Charity, Garfield Weston Foundation, Kusuma Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Charles Wilson and Rowena Olegario, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Clore Duffield Foundation, Workman LLP and Accenture.

The Natural History Museum secured a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £3,231,900 for its Urban Nature Project. The project will reach over 1.5m people via the creation of a collaborative, nationwide biodiversity movement with partners across the UK.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “We are delighted to support this exciting project, a new oasis in the city centre. We want to connect people with nature and this innovative urban nature project will increase people’s understanding of nature, help habitats and species thrive, and play a part in reducing and mitigating the impacts of climate change.  Thanks to National Lottery players, this iconic London institution will further our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for, and sustained for everyone, now and in the future and engage a wider range of people with the wonderful biodiversity on their doorsteps.”

Visitors should book a free ticket in advance online for guaranteed entry to the Museum. Tickets are currently available for visits until 31 December 2024.

Members, Patrons and Corporate Supporters do not need to book general admission or exhibition tickets. Arrive at any time and you will have priority access.

 

Notes to editors

Assets

Images are available in the press pack here.

Visit https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/galleries-and-museum-map/our-gardens.html

To register interest in attending the press preview ahead of the gardens opening, please email press@nhm.ac.uk. Further event details to follow.

Press contact

Natural History Museum Press Office

Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654 / 07799690151

Email: press@nhm.ac.uk  

 

About The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a world-leading science centre and one of the most visited attractions in the UK. A global source of curiosity, inspiration and joy.

Our vision is to build a future in which both people and the planet thrive.

We aim to be a catalyst for change, engaging advocates for the planet in everything that we do.

Our 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency in all aspects of life.

Visit, join and support the Natural History Museum today. Protecting the planet. It's in our

nature.

 

The Urban Nature Project

The Natural History Museum’s Urban Nature Project is designed in response to the urgent need to both monitor and record changes to the UK's urban nature. Working in partnership with museums and wildlife organisations across the UK, the project is developing online, onsite and national monitoring and community science programmes as well as transform the Museum’s five-acre gardens in South Kensington into a globally relevant urban nature ‘epicentre’, helping to safeguard nature’s future.

 

Supporters and Sponsors

A wide variety of trusts, foundations, companies and individuals are supporting the Urban Nature Project including Amazon Web Services, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Evolution Education Trust, The Cadogan Charity, Garfield Weston Foundation, Kusuma Trust, The Wolfson Foundation, Charles Wilson and Rowena Olegario, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Clore Duffield Foundation, Workman LLP and Accenture.

 

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.  

Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.

The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.  

The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund  www.heritagefund.org.uk. 

 

Evolution Education Trust 
The Evolution Education Trust helps raise awareness of the importance of the Theory of Evolution by funding impactful projects in the areas of therapeutics, education, conservation and fundamental research.

 

The Cadogan Charity

The Cadogan Charity supports communities, contributes to a sustainable environment and protects heritage. It has supported charities involved in animal welfare, education, conservation and the environment, military, medical research and social welfare.

 

Garfield Weston Foundation

Established over 60 years ago in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making charity which supports causes across the UK and, in the most recent financial year, gave over £98million as the Trustees were highly conscious of the challenges presented by Covid-19 to the charitable sector. Since it was established, it has exceeded donations of more than £1billion, of which well over half has been given in the past ten years.

One of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Weston Family Trustees are descendants of the founder and they take a highly active and hands-on approach. The Foundation’s funding comes from an endowment of shares in the family business which includes Twinings, Primark, Kingsmill (all part of Associated British Foods Plc) and Fortnum & Mason, amongst others – a successful model that still endures today; as the businesses have grown, so too have the charitable donations.

Known for its transparency, flexibility and straightforward approach, the Foundation supports a broad range of charities from small community organisations to large national institutions. Around 2,000 charities across the UK benefit each year from the Foundation’s grants.

 

Kusuma Trust

The Kusuma Trust UK is a family led philanthropic trust established in 2010 by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari. The Trust gives grants to organisations based on shared values and mutual interests in the UK, Gibraltar and India. Its current areas of interest are creating access to opportunities, improving health and well-being, and investing in our communities and environment.

 

The Wolfson Foundation
 The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts. Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 14,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review. Twitter: @wolfsonfdn

 

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was established in 1850 to organise the Great Exhibition. The Exhibition made a significant surplus which the Commission, under the guidance of Prince Albert, used to purchase an estate in South Kensington. This estate has developed to become a centre of scientific, cultural and educational excellence which now houses the Natural History, Science and V&A museums; Imperial College London; the Royal Colleges of Art and Music; and the Royal Albert Hall, all of which the Commission continues to support in their work in education, research, science and the arts.  Today, it is focussed predominantly on awarding postgraduate Fellowships and Scholarships, for advanced study and research in science, engineering, the built environment and design. It also awards grants to support projects consistent with its overall aims, many of which are focused on raising the awareness of the young to the opportunities presented by science and engineering.

 

Clore Duffield Foundation

The Clore Duffield Foundation, established by Sir Charles Clore in 1964, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2024.

Now chaired by Sir Charles Clore’s daughter, Dame Vivien Duffield, the Foundation supports UK charities working in the arts, education, social welfare and health.

 

Workman LLP

Workman LLP is the UK’s largest independently owned commercial Property Management and Building Consultancy firm, employing more than 850 staff across 11 UK offices, with a growing presence in Europe. Professional Property Management and Building Consultancy teams work with a client base which includes leading institutional funds, overseas investors, and property companies. What sets Workman apart from the competition is its specialist focus, national coverage, and independent status. For further information, visit workman.co.uk or to find out more about Workman’s drive to build biodiversity across its managed portfolio, visit www.workman-building-biodiversity.co.uk. 

 

Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent and innovation led company with 738,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.

 

Huo Family Foundation

The Huo Family Foundation's mission is to support education, communities, and the pursuit of knowledge. Through its donations, the Foundation hopes to improve the prospects of individuals, and to support the work of organisations seeking to ensure a safe and successful future for all society.