The world's best natural history museums
Natural history museums explore the natural world — from dinosaur fossils and mineral specimens to mounted animals and botanical collections. They document the biodiversity of our planet and the geological forces that have shaped it over billions of years.
10 museums across 5 countries and 9 cities, ranked by our editorial composite of TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice, AECOM/TEA attendance data and coverage in Condé Nast Traveler, Time Out, National Geographic and The Times.
About natural history museums
The great natural history museums combine scientific research with public exhibition. Their collections, often numbering in the tens of millions of specimens, serve as critical references for biologists, palaeontologists and ecologists. As public-facing institutions, they introduce visitors to evolution, ecology and Earth science through spectacular fossil halls, dioramas of world ecosystems and increasingly, exhibits about climate change and conservation. Our ranking reflects the scale and importance of their research collections alongside the quality of the visitor experience.
The top-ranked natural history museum on our list is Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, United States. Explore all 10 museums in this category above, or browse our full Top 50 ranking for a cross-category overview.