Summer at the NHM

The event spaces of the Natural History Museum are the perfect choice for summer events. This iconic venue is steeped in history, and includes several vast galleries which set the scene for entertaining.

The Earth Halls at the Natural History Museum opened in 1996 and since then have been a favourite location for unique events. A modern and dynamic setting, the Earth Halls are an exclusive and individual venue ideal for evening events for up to 500 guests.

Within an 8-storey cocoon, the landmark Darwin Centre is the Museum’s most significant expansion since it moved to South Kensington in 1881 – and it’s definitely the most striking. In contrast with the German Romanesque architecture of the original museum, the Cocoon is a modern, organically shaped, light and airy 21st Century structure suitable for up to 350 guests.

The Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum is a stunning and magnificent setting for any evening event. The soaring arches, ceiling panels of gilt gold and terracotta and the huge Diplodocus dinosaur skeleton ensure that this is a venue to wow guests. This large, flexible space is available for evening events, and can host up to 700 guests for a dinner or 1,200 for a reception.

The Natural History Museum’s history goes back over 250 years. The Museum’s origins lie with Sir Hans Sloane, a physician and collector who donated his collection of natural curiosities to the nation in 1753. The collection initially went to the British Museum but as the collection grew with other donations, Sir Richard Owen the Superintendent of the British Museum’s natural history collection persuaded the government to move the collection to a new museum.

The site chosen for the new museum was occupied by the ‘ugliest building in London’ that had housed the International Exhibition of 1863. The new museum was built and although sections of the museum opened from 1883, the museum was not officially opened as the Natural History Museum until 1963.