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| Hope Whale |
It’s an impressive welcome—one that sets the tone for the rest of the visit. I wandered first into the Fossil Marine Reptile Gallery, where ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs stretched out in long, elegant arcs along the walls.
There’s something grounding about standing beside creatures that ruled the seas millions of years before humans took their first steps.
From there, I couldn’t resist the Dinosaur Gallery. Stegosaurus—one of the most complete specimens of its kind—is a standout, and I paused for a while to take in the armour plates and that iconic spiked tail.
Nearby, familiar favourites like Triceratops and Corythosaurus anchor the room, drawing steady streams of families and wide-eyed kids.
The Earth Galleries offered a completely different kind of magic.
Gemstones glittered under soft lights, meteorites sat quietly in their cases, and huge crystals seemed almost unreal in their clarity. Each display felt like a reminder of how beautiful and varied our planet really is.
It’s easy to forget that the museum isn’t just a place to display the natural world—it’s an active hub for studying it.
By the time I left, I’d only scratched the surface, but that’s the best part. The museum is the kind of place you can return to again and again, always finding something new tucked into its halls.
I returned at three different times in a week to catch the galleries at various times of day to see the natural light hitting the displays, especially in the marine reptile gallery, so I could take in all the wonderful details.
