The Natural History Museum in Milan is the oldest public museum in the city. It first opened its doors in 1844, changing its location several times since then due to its ever-growing collection. It is now the first museum in Italy and one of the most important in Europe. Research is also a major part of its activities. The section dedicated to fauna is undoubtedly of greatest interest to visitors. Numerous dioramas reproduce in great detail the various corners of our planet, with their inhabitants’ lives frozen before our eyes. A giant whale skeleton (19.3m.) is suspended from the ceiling of one of the halls, and a slightly smaller sperm whale skeleton (12m.), which can also be seen in the halls of the museum.
The mineralogy section exhibits the most interesting minerals from the 30,000 minerals collected in the museum’s collection.000 collected in the museum’s collection: the world’s largest sulphur crystal, a Brazilian topaz weighing 40kg, and much more.
In the palaeontology section, among other things, it will be interesting to see the skeletons of pygmy elephants that lived in Sicily. An entire hall is dedicated to dinosaurs. Here, to the delight of children, the most colourful members of this extinct family are reproduced as if they were alive. Among them is the terrifyingly predatory Tyrannosaurus Rex!
The exposition is complemented by rooms devoted to entomology (the science of insects), human evolution and human interaction with the environment.
The museum has a bookshop where you can buy various souvenirs and a cafeteria bar.
The Natural History Museum is located in the City Garden. It also has a children’s playground, amusement rides, a summer café and a planetarium, making it a family-friendly place to visit.
Actual – all days except Wednesday, 1 January, 1 May, 25 December
