About
The Natural History Museum at Tring is a wonderfully distinctive and surprising institution — a satellite of London's Natural History Museum that houses one of the finest and most extensive zoological collections in the world, set in the small Hertfordshire market town of Tring. The museum owes its existence to Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, one of the most remarkable naturalists and collectors of the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Walter Rothschild began collecting natural history specimens as a child, and by the time he was a young man his obsession had grown to extraordinary proportions. He established his private museum at Tring in 1892, housing it in a purpose-built building on the Tring Park estate, and opened it to the public in 1892 — one of the first privately funded natural history museums in the world open to all. His collection eventually numbered over two million insects, 300,000 bird skins, 200 complete mounted skeletons, and countless other specimens accumulated from expeditions across every continent.
Rothschild's collecting methods were as unconventional as the man himself. He kept a tame cassowary, zebras, and even trained giant tortoises from the Galapagos Islands. After his death in 1937, the collection was bequeathed to the Natural History Museum in London, and the Tring site has been managed by them ever since, functioning as both a public museum and a world-class scientific research facility.
Today visitors to Tring encounter a Victorian museum experience quite unlike any other — vast cases of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish displayed in the original wooden cabinets, alongside mounted specimens of extraordinary rarity including extinct species such as the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) and the great auk. The museum retains an authentically Victorian atmosphere that makes it feel like a journey back to the golden age of natural history collecting.
For naturalists, ornithologists, and anyone captivated by the diversity of animal life on Earth, the Natural History Museum at Tring is an unmissable and utterly absorbing destination.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
💡 Visitor Tips
- Weekday mornings are by far the quietest time to visit. The museum is small and gets busy during school holidays, especially in the bird gallery.
- This is a Victorian-style collection museum — expect rows of cases with hundreds of specimens rather than interactive displays. It is all the more wonderful for that authentic atmosphere.
- Seek out the specimens of extinct species — the thylacine, the great auk, and the passenger pigeon are among the most poignant and extraordinary things in any British museum.
- Children who love animals, dinosaurs, or wildlife documentaries will be utterly absorbed. The sheer scale and variety of the animal kingdom on display is astonishing.
- Tring station is about 2 miles from the museum — not walkable with young children. A taxi from the station takes about 5 minutes and is straightforward.
- Combine a visit with birdwatching at Tring Reservoirs (a 15-minute walk) for a perfect natural history day. The reservoirs are one of the best inland birding sites in the Home Counties.
- The Victorian cases and atmospheric galleries photograph beautifully. The mounted zebra and the zebra carriage display make for particularly striking images.
- Entry is completely free — a remarkable value. Consider making a donation at the entrance to help support this exceptional national collection.
Highlights
Discover the unique exhibits and collections at this museum.
Collections
The scientific collections at Tring hold over two million insect specimens, approximately 300,000 bird skins, 200 complete mounted skeletons, and extensive holdings of reptiles, fish, and mammals. The collections are actively used by researchers from around the world and contain thousands of scientifically designated type specimens.
Zoological Collections
The permanent displays across the Victorian gallery rooms present the world's zoological diversity through thousands of mounted specimens, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates from every continent.
Walter Rothschild and His Museum
Displays exploring the remarkable life of Walter Rothschild, his passion for natural history, his eccentric menagerie, and the legacy of the collection he built and ultimately bequeathed to the nation.
Extinct and Endangered Species
A thought-provoking display of specimens representing species that are now extinct or at risk, highlighting the importance of conservation and the irreplaceable role of museum collections in scientific research.
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.