Ticketing terms and conditions of sale

By booking tickets through the website under the domain name tickets.nhm.ac.uk (the 'website' or 'site') you are entering into an agreement with the Museum on the terms and conditions set out below including the Visitor Admissions Policy.

This includes without limitation the following types of tickets for our premises at South Kensington or Tring:

• entry tickets: for general admission to our permanent collection. Find out more about entry to the Museum.
• exhibition tickets: for entry to our temporary, special or paid-for exhibitions
• event tickets: for entry to our events held at our premises.

The term 'Museum', 'we', 'us' and 'our' means the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, a charity whose principal office is at Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD.

These terms and conditions of sale are additional to and not a substitute for the general terms and conditions of use of the Museum website or any specific entry requirements or other associated terms and conditions for an event. As a requirement of these terms and conditions, you must comply with the following Visitor Admissions Policy.

Ordering tickets

When you confirm your order for tickets by selecting 'Confirm order' on the payment page, you are making an offer to the Museum to purchase the tickets on the terms set out in your order. Your tickets will be booked and you will receive a confirmation of this by email, normally within 24 hours. You are responsible for making sure the information in your order is correct before confirming the order.

If you are unable to see the confirmation screen or have any other problem, please email us at tickets@nhm.ac.uk.

When you book tickets for events and exhibitions at the Museum using the website, you are deemed to have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions, including the general terms and conditions of use of the Museum website and the Visitor Admissions Policy.

We accept online payment in a secure environment by credit or debit card. We currently accept Visa, Mastercard©, Delta and Maestro©. All transactions are shown in pounds sterling (£). All prices quoted are correct at the time of publication and where appropriate include UK sales tax (VAT) at the current rate.

You agree that

In booking a ticket, or using a ticket regardless of whether you were the person who booked it, you understand and agree that:

• you have no right to a refund or exchange of your ticket (except as set out in our cancellation and refund policy below)
• your visit to the Museum, including to any exhibition or event, is at all times subject to any notice to visitors we post on our premises and to the direction, supervision and guidance of our staff, which may include directions in relation to health and safety and, in particular, to the prevention of the spread of coronavirus through social distancing and the wearing of personal protective equipment
• your ticket is subject to our Resale policy below
• we reserve the right, at our sole and absolute discretion, to refuse to allow you to enter the Museum, or to enter into any exhibition or event, and/or escort you from our premises if, in our judgment, you breach any of these terms and conditions (including if you arrive outside the date and time slot stated on the face of your ticket), and in such case, we shall have no liability to you.

Types of tickets and ticket holders

When you book tickets with us, there are different ticket types for different people. These are defined as follows:

• Adult: a person aged 17 to 59 years old inclusively
• Child: a person aged 4 to 16 years old inclusively
• Child under four: a person aged up to 3 years old
• Adult senior: a person aged 60 years or older
• Unemployed: an adult who holds a valid ES40
• Deaf or disabled person: a person with a hearing impairment or disability
• Disabled helper: a person accompanying a disabled person
• Student: an adult or senior adult who holds any type of valid photographic identity card showing they are a student
• Family: up to 2 adults and up to 3 children
• Natural History Museum Member: an adult who holds a valid Natural History Museum membership
• RSPB Member: a person with a valid RSPB Membership card in their name, or an email from RSPB confirming valid RSPB membership on that date.
• Adult Art Fund member: an adult aged 16 to 59 who holds a valid National Art Pass
• Adult senior Art Fund member: an adult aged 60 or over who holds a valid National Art Pass
• Child Art Fund member: a child aged 4 or older who holds a valid National Art Pass

Discount Member tickets

Members can buy discount tickets for every Member in their party. Non-Members must pay full price for their tickets. Please bring your membership card when you visit so that discount tickets can be validated.

Ticket purchase and validity

When you have confirmed your order, no details of your booking can be changed. You have no right to a refund or exchange of your ticket (except as set out in our cancellation and refund policy below). Most tickets are not transferable - they are only valid for the time, day and event stated upon them.

Under certain circumstances tickets to some events may be transferred to another event date within a year of the original date. Tickets transfers are subject to an admin fee. Check the terms and conditions of each individual event for further information.

Certain events maintain a waiting list to resell your ticket if you can no longer attend. Check the terms and conditions and important information of each individual event for further information.

When you arrive at the event, you may need to produce identification if you have bought a discounted or concession ticket. 

If you requested discounted or concession tickets but do not have your ticket number or relevant identification, you may be refused entry to the event.

Tickets are for personal use only and cannot be resold, transferred or used for promotional, commercial or fundraising purposes without the prior written permission from the Museum.

Resale policy

Tickets are for personal use only and cannot be resold, transferred or used for promotional, commercial or fundraising purposes without prior written permission from the Museum.

If a ticket is resold or transferred for profit or commercial gain by anyone other than us or one of our authorised sub-agents, then that ticket will be void. If you attempt to enter the Museum, an exhibition or an event with a ticket that has been resold without the Museum's written consent, you may be refused entry to, or ejected from, the Museum and no compensation will be payable to you by us.

Donations and Gift Aid

If you are a UK taxpayer and have bought tickets that include a donation, the Museum can claim back extra money from the government through the Gift Aid scheme. This means that your donation is worth even more to the Museum. For every pound paid, we can claim back £0.25 - so if your ticket costs £10 we can claim back an extra £2.50.

By checking the box to Gift Aid your order on the 'Confirm your order' page, you confirm that you agree to this statement:

'I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.'

You agree to contact us if you wish to cancel your Gift Aid declaration, if you have changed your name or address, or if you no longer pay sufficient tax to quality for Gift Aid. If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue & Customs to adjust your tax code.

Please note that any donation made when buying a ticket is non-refundable.

How we issue your tickets

When your booking has been confirmed, a confirmation screen will show your order number. You can download a PDF containing your booking information and ticket number. We will also send you confirmation of your booking information and ticket number to the email address you gave us.

We do not send tickets in the post.

There is no need to print your tickets. You just need to bring your ticket number with you on your mobile or if you prefer, you can print the PDF or email confirmation and present this when you arrive at the Museum.

Access to events

Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

We reserve the right to remove from an event or refuse entry to anyone who:

• behaves in a way that adversely affects the enjoyment of other visitors
• uses threatening, abusive or insulting language or behaviour, or in any way provokes a breach of the peace
• is or appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• uses a void ticket, as per our Resale Policy above
• fails to comply with our Visitor Admissions Policy.

On weekends and at other busy times you may need to queue, so please arrive at your event 20 minutes before your chosen time slot. Some venues can be up to 15 minutes' walk from the main Museum entrances, so make sure you allow plenty of time to travel through the Museum. Bookings cannot be changed once completed. Visitors who arrive late may be refused entry.

Alterations, cancellation and closure

We reserve the right, at our sole and absolute discretion, to:

• alter our advertised arrangements for opening and admission to the Museum, or for any exhibition or event
• cancel any ticket without notice
• close Museum premises (or any part thereof) without notice.

Cancellation and refund policy

It may be necessary in some circumstances for the Museum to cancel your ticket.

If we cancel your ticket:

• Any donation you make at the time of purchasing a ticket will be non-refundable, even if the ticket is subsequently cancelled or because you upgrade your ticket to a membership. As a charity, the Museum cannot refund donations except in limited circumstances, such as if your donation has been made as a result of fraud or misuse or in the event of accidental duplicate transactions.
• We will attempt to contact you to exchange your ticket for an alternative date. If an alternative date cannot be arranged the Museum will refund the ticket price unless a Gift Aid declaration was made at the time of purchasing your ticket.
• If you make a Gift Aid declaration at the time of purchasing your ticket, your entire ticket price will become non-refundable to meet HMRC Gift Aid requirements, even if the ticket is subsequently cancelled. However, if the ticket is subsequently cancelled we will still attempt to contact you to arrange an exchange for an alternative date.
• Any retail items that you purchased with that ticket booking will be refunded unless your ticket is exchanged for a new date in which case you will receive that item on the new date.

Any contact offering an exchange will be in the form of an email, so you are advised to check your email inbox before visiting the Museum to avoid an unnecessary journey should your ticket be cancelled.

If an event is cancelled or postponed, the Museum cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred by the customer for travel, accommodation or any other related service.

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions affects any of your statutory rights which may not be legally excluded.

Limitation of liability

We shall not be liable to you in any circumstance for any loss of business, revenue, profits, anticipated savings or goodwill (whether direct or indirect) or for any indirect, special or consequential loss of any kind and in each case howsoever arising, under these terms and conditions even if you have advised us of the possibility of same.

Our maximum liability to you under these terms and conditions shall not exceed the total amount you paid for your ticket.

The Museum shall not be deemed to be in breach of these terms and conditions or any other contract with you by reason of any delay in performing or any failure to perform any of its obligations in relation to tickets ordered by you if the delay or failure was due to any cause beyond its reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms and conditions shall serve to exclude or limit the Museum's liability in respect of death or personal injury caused by the Museum's negligence or the negligence of its officers or employees or for any fraudulent misrepresentation or any other liability that cannot, as a matter of law, be excluded or limited.

The limitations set out in this section apply equally for the benefit of the Natural History Museum Trading Company Limited.

General

No person who is not a party to these terms and conditions shall have any right to enforce any term under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

The Museum may assign or transfer any of its rights or subcontract any of its obligations under these terms and conditions to any third party. You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or subcontract any of your obligations under these terms and conditions except with the specific permission in writing of the Museum.

Any decision by the Museum to not enforce rights under these terms and conditions against a purchaser shall not prevent or restrict the Museum from enforcing those rights against a separate purchaser.

Privacy and personal data

We are committed to keeping your personal information safe. We process personal information in accordance with data protection legislation.

For more information, view our privacy notice.

Why do we ask for personal information from you?

We ask for personal information from you when you use our website for the following reasons:

• to process your order
• to send you confirmation of your order by email
• to claim Gift Aid, if you order tickets including a donation to the Museum and opt in for Gift Aid
• to contact you in the event of an emergency.

What happens to your data?

Your personal data is held securely by the Museum in accordance with data protection legislation. When you book tickets through our website, we will email you to confirm your order details. For more information about how we manage your data, please see our privacy notice.

We use WorldPay for collecting and processing financial data and they comply with PCI DSS regulations.

If you choose tickets that include a donation to the Museum and you Gift Aid your order, your personal data will be passed on to HM Revenue & Customs only for the purposes of claiming Gift Aid on your order. Your personal data may be stored by HM Revenue & Customs for up to seven years for the purposes of financial auditing.

We endeavour to ensure that the third parties we use to run this area of the website collect and process your data in accordance with data protection legislation and comply with our privacy policy.

Removing your personal data

You can have your personal information removed from Museum systems at any time by emailing us at unsubscribe@nhm.ac.uk. 

In some cases, we may not be able to remove your personal data from third party systems, such those belonging to HM Revenue & Customs.

If you have any questions regarding the use of your data, please send an email to dataprotection@nhm.ac.uk.

Cookies

When you visit the website we may send you a cookie. A cookie is a text-only string of information that is stored by the web browser on your device so that the website can remember who you are.

Cookies are used in the following ways:

• to compile anonymous, aggregated statistics that allow us to understand how users use the website and to help us improve the website (we cannot identify you personally in this way)
• to temporarily identify a user throughout the browser session in order to remember the selections from previous pages (these cookies do not contain any personal data and we cannot identify your personally in this way)

For further information on how we use cookies across all our websites, please view our Website terms of use.

By using our website, you agree to provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself when you place an order for tickets.

For more information, view our privacy notice.

Changes to the terms and conditions of sale

Our terms and conditions of sale may be changed. Please review them regularly. If you continue to use the website after a change has been made you are deemed to have accepted it.

Law and jurisdiction

These terms and conditions of sale shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising in relation to the website shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If any of these terms or conditions of sale should be determined to be illegal, invalid or otherwise unenforceable, it shall be deemed deleted and the remaining terms and conditions shall survive and continue to be binding and enforceable.