The natural history museum chronicles the evolution and diversity of the planet we live on and the wildlife that we share it with. History is re-lived through the numerous displays and archives at the museum. The permanent exhibition begins 150 million years ago, a time when giants roamed the Earth, where you can see the actual skeleton of a 7.5 metre long Allosaurus, and where children can step into the shoes of an archaeologist and conduct a dig in a sandbox with hidden fossils buried like treasure. Children will also adore an exhibit where the life of the native swallowtail butterfly is tracked from egg to mature adult via its fascinating life cycle.

Although not quite as gargantuan, the blue whale’s baby cousin, a 9 foot long minke whale is nonetheless an impressive display in the mammal hall. Another intrigue that you can find here is one of only 24 displays of the rare, now extinct Quagga, a relative of the familiar zebra.

Did you know that with 370,000 species, the beetle is the largest order in the animal kingdom, with no country being free of this multifarious creature. The museum holds an enormous collection of the world’s beetles, with over 70,000 species from exotic lands such as the Himalayas, China and Arabia, some of which are the last surviving specimens of their kind. This is also your one chance to see the extremely rare Ruby Crown Kinglet bird, and the already extinct Passenger Pigeon. Don’t worry though, the museum doesn’t only pay attention to the living treasures of our planet, with a vast collection of exquisite Geodes, boasting glittering crystals of all shapes, sizes and hues.