How has wind, water and other weather shaped the Earth? And how long has it taken?
See dramatic rock and mountain formations and a giant stalagmite, and find out how they formed. Discover how stones change shape and explore interactive exhibits in the Restless Surface gallery.
Star specimens and exhibits
- frozen lightning captured in desert sand
- the ancient life that makes up limestone
- interactive displays showing how wind and water can turn sand into waves
- a tombstone sundial
- minerals borne from the sea
Explore the galleries with the Museum map
Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.
Discover: the world around us
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CollectionsWhat is a fossil?
Fossils are physical evidence of prehistoric animals and plants, but there may be more to them than you ever realised.
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Science news‘It’s almost like a dream’: Sample of asteroid Bennu arrives at the Natural History Museum
Welcome to the next era of natural history collections.
28 November 2023 -
Science newsMost Martian meteorites are curiously young in age
Putting Martian meteorites in a nuclear reactor has confirmed their curiously young age.
27 October 2023 -
Science newsNASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returns to Earth with pristine asteroid samples
OSIRIS-REx returned to Earth with a record-breaking amount of material from an asteroid dating back to the birth of our solar system.
24 September 2023
