Natural History Museum to reopen hidden gallery closed since WWII

London’s Natural History Museum is set to reopen a hidden gallery that has been inaccessible to the public since 1943. The space, which previously served as an osteology gallery, will host the ‘Nature and Us’ exhibition starting September 16.

The exhibition, which will run for an initial 18 months, features 50 objects exploring the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world. Notable items include a miniature Crystal Palace dinosaur model, a Victorian monk seal skeleton named Jenny, a 400,000-year-old handaxe, and a bryozoan-encrusted Star Wars toy from the 1980s. Visitors will also have the opportunity to touch a replica jaw of one of Britain’s earliest known domesticated dogs, dating back approximately 14,300 years.

This reopening is part of the NHM150 project, a long-term transformation initiative aimed at revitalizing or opening a new gallery each year in preparation for the museum’s 150th anniversary in 2031.