A gallery at London's Natural History Museum, which has been closed to the public since 1943, is scheduled to reopen on 16 September. The exhibition, titled "Nature and Us," will feature 50 objects exploring the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world.
The reopening is part of the museum's NHM150 transformation project, which aims to introduce a new or revamped showcase annually until the museum's 150th anniversary in 2031. Dr. Doug Gurr, director of the NHM, stated that visitors will be able to explore this historic space for the first time in over 80 years.
The display is described as "experimental" for an initial 18-month period, during which visitors can provide feedback for the permanent gallery, expected to open in 2029. The gallery, located on the second floor of the Waterhouse Building, was originally an osteology and mammals gallery before being repurposed to house botanical collections after World War Two damage.
Exhibits will include a miniature Crystal Palace dinosaur model, a Victorian monk seal skeleton named Jenny, and the jaw of one of Britain's earliest known domesticated dogs, dating back approximately 14,300 years. The Natural History Museum in South Kensington offers free admission and is open seven days a week.