The Beijing Museum of Natural History is a popular museum for kids and nature lovers alike. This place is perfect for a rainy day or to escape the humid Beijing heat.
The first large scale natural history museum in China, it was founded in 1951, and was originally named the National Central Museum of Natural History. With a total floor space of 24,000 square meters, 8,000 square meters of which are available for display, with more than 200,000 specimens.
The museum houses the skull of the world famous Mamenchisaurus jingyanens, a new found species of sauropod from the Late Jurassic period in the Sichuan Basin. On the first floor there are giant mounted dinosaur skeletons. The second and third floor have fossils, displays of animals, and other natural habitats. Also featured are collections of mammals, invertebrates, ornithology (study of birds), and paleontology.
Tips:
-Don’t bring a stroller as the museum only has stairs.
-Take a break at the second floor snack area.
Beijing Museum of Natural History 北京自然博物馆
Tue-Sun 8.30am-5pm. 126 Tianqiao Nandajie, Chongwen District (6702 4431) www.bmnh.org.cn 崇文区天桥南大街126号
