Ah, the Natural History Museum – you know it, you love it. It’s an esteemed building and museum in our capital that’s just as stunning as it is fascinating. When you visit, you can go back in time to visit dinosaurs, explore other continents, and experience the majesty of the natural world. But did you know, you can also go behind the scenes to see even more of the museum’s collection?
The Spirit Collection tour takes guests below the museum and into the labs for an up-close look at samples that visitors would otherwise never see. Millions of specimens line the walls and shelves, preserved in a 70% ethanol solution. It’s not one for the faint of heart, though, as it can be a bit creepy to be THIS close to the preserved creatures.
But for those interested, it’s a chance to see real science unfolding behind the scenes. It’s a great insight into how much work goes on out of sight at museums.
Spirit Collection Tour
The Natural History Museum started preserving specimens over 300 years ago. And as with any collection that was started multiple centuries ago, it’s ballooned to enormous numbers. There are over 23 million specimens preserved in spirits tucked away beneath the museum.
Credit: @natural_history_museum, via IG
As you might imagine, it takes a HUGE amount of space to store so many specimens. The museum’s Darwin Centre boasts an eye-watering 27 kilometres of shelving. Since each tour lasts 45 minutes, there’s nowhere near enough time to see it all. But you’ll be guided through some of the most notable specimens they’ve got hidden away down there. These include:
- A giant Chinese salamander
- A veryyyy long Australian earthworm
- Archie the giant squid – caught by a fishing trawler, Archie measures over eight metres long
- The original specimens that Charles Darwin brought back from his trip to the Galápagos Islands
If you’re lucky, you might see some even more unusual sights. When our video team visited, they were able to see a special display that isn’t usually visible, even on behind-the-scenes tours. They came face to face with two great white sharks (!).
It’s worth noting that there is a strong chemical smell in the room as part of the tour. (Understandable, we’d say, given the room is full of specimens submerged in chemicals.) As such, the tour is not appropriate for pregnant persons.
Tours at the Natural History Museum
But the Spirit Collection Tour is hardly the only tour available for fans of the Natural History Museum. There are all manner of other guided visits and out-of-hours events you can check out. These include:
- Out of Hours Dino Tours
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year Tour
- Architecture of the Natural History Museum Tour
- Museum Highlights Tour
- Science of the Natural History Museum Tour
- Gardens Tour: Journey Through Time and Nature
- Kids Tour: The Young Explorers
- and much more…
The museum also offers a comprehensive selection of tours for people with all sorts of ability levels, as well as tours in other languages. Everyone is welcome at the Natural History Museum.
Find out more about the Spirit Collection Tour and book your ticket here.
📸 You can also explore many of the museum’s specimens through their image database, here.