The National

Museum Of
Natural
History
Submitted by:
Mihir kakar
(Ba.llb)

Review Of The National Museum Of Natural History

History is an important part of our being and boring bookish lessons in the subject can
be expanded and reinforced by a visit to a museum. Museums offer a chance at
interactive learning and offer information across various media and methods to make
the process more fun.

In Delhi, a great place to start is the National Museum of Natural History, located in
the heart of the city. A stones throw away from the well-known Connaught Place, this
museum makes a great outing irrespective of weather conditions and is a wonderful
option during school vacations.

The beginning:
The credit of foundation of this museum goes to the immediate Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi in 1978. It was opened to the public on world environment day at 5th June,
1978.

The museum:
The National Museum of Natural History is specially focused on science and the origin
of nature. The moment you enter the museum, you will discover lesser known facts
about the origin of life, cells, earth, solar system and the formation of oceans and
continents. The museum has three exhibit galleries, namely: "Introduction of Natural
History", "Nature's Network: Ecology" and "Conservation", the last of which is
currently under renovation.

Children are sure to be hooked by the very first gallery, a dark room where various
artificial models make the experience enjoyable and instructive. Information about
exhibits is displayed in both Hindi and English. The Museum has an extensive
collection of films on wildlife, ecology, conservation and the environment in general.
Films are screened every day for visitors at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM at the Museum
Auditorium on the third floor. The Museum library is also well stocked with reference
books on natural history, wildlife and ecology and is frequently used by students for
project work.

Ecology gallery with touch screen panels:

Our special recommendation is the gallery dedicated to ecology, which shows some
rare information about ecosystems. Your kid will love this section, with its touch
screen panels to make the experience more interactive, not only for your little learner
but for you as well. Children today are already aware of the importance of
conservation of natural resources, deforestation and animal trading and will relate to
the informative displays on the subject.
Discovery and Activity Rooms: These activity centres are specially tailored for children
of different age groups. Children are free to choose an activity of their choice and can
even handle and examine specimens, participate in creative activities such as
modeling and painting, explore discovery boxes or play games, use touch panels and
other interactive exhibits.