Naturalis - Museum

Naturalis in Leiden is the national natural history museum and research centre of the Netherlands. With some 42 million objects, its collection ranks among the five largest in the world.

What can you expect at Naturalis?

• History: The national museum of natural history was founded by royal decree on 9 August 1820. In 1998 Queen Beatrix opened the Naturalis building, and on 31 August 2019 the museum reopened after a major expansion.
• Galleries: Nine galleries cover early life, the Ice Age in the Netherlands, the Earth and volcanoes, the age of dinosaurs and seduction in nature. In the free LiveScience gallery you can ask scientists questions and have finds identified.
• Highlights: Highlights of Naturalis are:
  • Trix, a Tyrannosaurus rex about 66 million years old, excavated in Montana in 2013 and one of the most complete T. rex skeletons in the world.
  • Java Man, a Homo erectus found by Eugène Dubois.

Practical information

• Opening hours: Open daily.
• Facilities: There is a restaurant and a museum shop. The museum is very family friendly.
• Surroundings: Naturalis is next to the Leiden Bio Science Park. In the city centre you will find the Hortus botanicus and the National Museum of Antiquities.

Naturalis takes you on a voyage of discovery through millions of years of life on Earth.

Furthermore Naturalis is near the following sights: Museum of Ethnology (±600 m), Hortus botanicus Leiden (±1,1 km), CORPUS (±1,6 km), Steam Train Katwijk-Leiden (±2,1 km) & Oegstgeester Golfclub (±2,4 km).

For information

Darwinweg 2, Leiden
tel. +31 715 687 600 
web. Website