Grant Museum of Zoology

Museum of zoology · Fitzrovia

Grant Museum of Zoology

Museum of zoology · Fitzrovia

Rockefeller Building, 21 University St, London WC1E 6DE, United Kingdom

Highlights

The Grant Museum of Zoology is a quirky, intimate gem showcasing an array of animal skeletons and rare specimens, perfect for curious minds.

Rockefeller Building, 21 University St, London WC1E 6DE, United Kingdom Get directions

ucl.ac.uk

@grantmuseumucl

@onthegrid

"The Grant Museum is located in the north-east corner of Fitzrovia and the only remaining university zoology museum in London. A natural history collection of around 67,000 specimens, covering the entire animal kingdom, including many rare and extinct species such as the Tasmanian Tiger and the Dodo. Founded in 1828 by Professor Robert Grant, the museum retains that fascinating air of the avid Victorian collector with cases packed full of skeletons and specimens preserved in jars." - UsVs

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@onthegrid

"The last of its kind, a creepy yet completely enthralling collection of skeletons and preserved animals of all sorts." - Sam Morris

On the Grid : Grant Museum of Zoology

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@onthegrid

"Grant Museum of Zoology, Fitzrovia. The Grant Museum is located in the north-east corner of Fitzrovia and the only remaining university zoology museum in London. A natural history collection of around 67,000 specimens, covering the entire animal kingdom, including many rare and extinct species such as the Tasmanian Tiger and the Dodo. Founded in 1828 by Professor Robert Grant, the museum retains that fascinating air of the avid Victorian collector with cases packed full of skeletons and specimens preserved in jars."

London

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@onthegrid

London

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Hannah Wolf

Google

Great little museum if you are interested in nature, evolution and / or the macabre. Skeletons and taxidermy. Nice building and ambience. Was quiet and peaceful when I visited on a Wednesday. Educational content and some grisly exhibits. Free audio tour via own smartphone or headsets with a little mp3 player. Helpful staff.

jeff benjamin

Google

Established in 1827, named after founder Robert Grant, currently a “teaching collection”, part of UCL and partly opened to the public. Not lacking anticipated marinating specimens in jars (varying vintage) and ever so gruesomely fascinating. Here view the sadly extinct, the potentially endangered, skeletons and bones in polished wooden academic cabinets. Special mention; the “Blaschka” glass collection of unimaginably intricate invertebrate models, breathtakingly delicate and beautiful. Perhaps mildly challenging to the squeamish and children but this should be no deterrent - as the sketch would have you know; “.. E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be!— ‘E's a stiff! Bereft of life,”** The staff here friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share their expertise. ✔️ Recommended ** Monty Python sketch.

Rhiannon

Google

Lovely tiny museum within UCL. We were greeted by a super friendly volunteer/worker who gave us a small tour of the exhibit and explained some of the themes, ideas and history. The display is very reminiscent of The Huntarian, but less gory. This makes the Grant Museum better to come to with kids or more squeamish people. There are some brilliant additions such a mirrored room filled with microscope slides. This helps to elevate the exhibit. We went on a Saturday and it was a good number of people. Not too busy but not too quiet either.

Hannah's Adventures in Nature

Google

I am so glad I visited this museum. I'd never heard of it until something popped up on my Instagram and what a treasure trove this small museum is! So much to see, just a wonderful collection. I think I spent about an hour looking at everything but depending on what fascinates you, it could take you longer or less time to walk round (it's not super big).

Hayley (Hayley)

Google

After visiting all of the super busy museums such as science/British and history many times.i find it much more interesting to go to the ones that are off the beaten track.The grant Museum of Zoology is incredibly unique with many specimens on display that you wouldn't see in other places.At first my children assumed it would be boring but left saying mum that place is so cool.We had a fantastic time looking at each individual items and comparing things like how a sea turtle skull looks a little bigger than a cheetah skull.It is really engaging and super educational. It's weird and wonderful,yes a little gory but if you aren't squeamish then I highly recommend a visit.its only a small museum,everything is in 1 large room,you can see everything at your own pace.minimum of an hour to a max of 2 if you read all the information. It's Free to visit but they do run on donations,and they open Tuesday to Friday 1pm-5pm and Saturday 11am-5pm Happy exploring

Noelle Ng

Google

The Grant Museum of Zoology is a small but truly remarkable hidden gem. Despite its size, you can easily spend hours marveling at the intricate details of its collection. Having been around for 200 years, it houses an impressive array of bones and specimens that are rare to find elsewhere. It's one of only three places in the world where you can see authentic dodo bones. The museum volunteer was incredibly friendly and shared fascinating stories that we will remember forever. The museum is suitable for children aged 3 and up, and our kids were absolutely captivated by the exhibits, thanks in large part to the enthusiastic volunteer. Though the museum is small, there's so much to see, and it's a place we wholeheartedly recommend.

Rx Doc

Google

Grant Museum of Zoology - A Hidden Gem for Science Lovers! I recently visited the Grant Museum of Zoology, and it was a fascinating experience! This small but incredibly unique museum is packed with intriguing specimens that showcase the diversity of the animal kingdom. From skeletons and taxidermy to rare specimens like the extinct quagga, every corner has something captivating to see. The museum feels like stepping back in time with its vintage wooden cabinets and dense displays. It’s not too large, so you can explore it comfortably in an hour or two, making it perfect for a quick yet enriching visit. The museum is free, but donations are encouraged, which is great for budget travelers. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, always ready to share interesting facts about the exhibits. I highly recommend this spot for anyone interested in zoology, history, or just looking to experience something out of the ordinary in London.

Nenagh Acock Jones

Google

This place is cool as hell. It has a tone of specimens and bones of cool animals. 100% worth a visit if you love biology. It’s an emporium!

J K.

Yelp

If you're in the area and have an extra hour, come here. It's free. it doesn't take long to see everything. There are some really interesting pieces.

Georgia J.

Yelp

The Grant Museum has been on my list for a little while now and I honestly had the best afternoon. The extent of the collection is beautiful and they have an amazing array of both dry and wet specimens. They have just so much stuff! From skeletons and skulls to brains and body parts and what I can only refer to as a jar of moles. It's honestly fascinating and every specimen is beautifully labelled. The only thing I was slightly disappointed by was that the cabinets go so so high, beyond anyone's reach and I was desperate to see what I was missing! Though as this museum is there primarily for education purposes with the connected uni it's completely understandable that they squeeze as much in as possible despite the average spectators needs. The staff were also really helpful if you asked for a particular animal or specimen which was great. My personal favourites were the python skeleton, the many many delicate bats and the backlit microscope slides. Oh and the sneaky skeletons up top peering over the edge! Oh and did I mention it's completely free?

Michelle P.

Yelp

On day four of my London visit I toured the Wellcome Collection and nearby Grant Museum. Grant's cases were filled to the brim with stuff, pickled and defleshed critters. The specimens ranged from perfectly reconstructed skeletons to somewhat mishapen taxidermy pieces. Of particular interest to me were the intricate Blaschka glass models of mollusks and cnidarians; to date no one has been able to replicate their work. For £15 you can adopt a specimen for a year, which includes a plaque with your name and invitations to special events. Best of all, unlike the Hunterian, you can take photos. If you're more of an interpretive arts type you can arrange to move one of the specimens (with some restrictions/exceptions) to one of the central tables for closer viewing. If your tastes run a bit on the macabre side or if you're a bio geek I would highly recommend a stop.

Robert Elijah Pearce F.

Yelp

Love all the severed heads, I especially like when you can see the stumpy bits. But also I love everything about this museum: it's free, and it feels like something out of Harry Potter. There are so many dead animals, some of them millions of years old. It also was not busy when we went (16:00), so we were able to look at all the corpses in peace. If you love the macabre or are morbidly curious then come here! The guy at the front desk was OK. He had curly hair, which was endearing, but he didn't say a word to us. Kinda rude.

Donald C.

Yelp

For what it is, it's great. It's free and fantastic, plus you can take pictures unlike the Hunterian. It is a bit on the small side, but there is certainly plenty to see. The staff were knowledgeable. They also had some interesting postcards. If you're in London, definitely come visit.

E J.

Yelp

Pickled animals everywhere! Appealing to the biology nerds and those who lean more towards the slightly macabre day out in London, the Grant Museum of Zoology ticks all the boxes. There is a jar of moles, animal skeletons, stuffed animals, wall to wall slides of cells... certainly one of the science curious, it's easy to be deceived by the small interior but it's so easy to lose a few hours of your day taking in all the specimens and learning a thing or two on the way.

Cordelle P.

Yelp

This is how the story begins. There was a dark, dark street. On the dark, dark street, there was a dark, dark university. In the dark, dark university, there was a dark, dark corridor Down the dark, dark corridor, there was a dark, dark museum. And in the dark, dark museum, some skeletons lived. A Quagga skeleton, the inside chimp's head and a jug of moles. Definitely a place to take children who get a great deal out visiting. This museum may not be one for the squeamish but you would be fascinated by the weird and wonderful treasure trove of creatures in jars full of formaldehyde and skeletons. It also has a model of an elephant's heart and the rarest skeleton in the world. A great idea Alex to spend fancy dress yelp halloween party here. With great sample of Jamaica melted in your mouth black river chocolate, trick or treat gift bag, chopstick game by React energy drink.

Jennifer R.

Yelp

The Grant Museum of Zoology is one of London's treasures a little off the beaten path. While the Natural History Museum houses beautiful examples of full, life sized animals with detailed information cards to provide information to the masses, Grant's takes a simpler approach of having thousands of pickled, and taxidermied animals and their bones on display with mostly just a label and your imagination to take care of the rest. Scattered about are information cards containing interesting tidbits for certain pieces, but there is far too much here and far too little space to do it for each and every thing. Despite it's small size I spent way over an hour here glancing through the library-like stacks, trying to get every little detail of every skeleton, section and filled jar. My favourite part of the museum was the Micrarium, which even without looking at it in detail posses this great beauty about it. Overall this place is a great little visit if you're looking for something a little different to do in London, and you have a penchant for things that are a little more grotesque.

Katherine P.

Yelp

My nephew simply loves this place. We come almost every month. For him this place is so interesting that he cannot get enough from it. I on the other hand do not enjoy our visits, but I am happy that Tom is happy.

Darel S.

Yelp

I stood there, rather dumbfounded the first time I stepped in. Well, after finally finding it, that took a little bit of trouble. There's an amazing array of specimens and the little signs of adoption definitely contribute to an feeling of welcome. I've joined in a few events and each has been thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening, do stop by if you've got the chance to!

John M.

Yelp

When you first walk through the doors, that first look round takes you back to museums of the past of glass case. After a short while you realise that the old fashioned style museums have a lot to offer. The place is packed with specimens from floor to ceiling. You can adopt an exhibit and there is a certain fascination in looking at what has been adopted, there are still plenty left for you to choose. I would recommend a visit an hour to two are plenty to enjoy this wonderful place.