# Natural History Museum gallery reopening > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/natural-history-museum-gallery-reopening > Updated: 2026-08-25T20:59:17.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. London’s Natural History Museum has announced the reopening of a gallery that has been inaccessible to the public since 1943. Located on the second floor of the Waterhouse building, the space will host the ‘Nature and Us’ exhibition beginning September 16. The exhibition, which is scheduled to run for an initial 18 months, features 50 objects and specimens intended to explore the evolving relationship between humans and the natural world. Highlights include a 400,000-year-old handaxe, a Victorian monk seal skeleton named Jenny, a miniature Crystal Palace dinosaur model, and a 1980s Star Wars toy encrusted with bryozoans. Visitors can also interact with a replica of a 14,300-year-old jawbone from one of Great Britain’s earliest known domesticated dogs. The space previously served as an osteology and mammal gallery before being converted into a botanical storage area following the destruction of the museum's herbarium during World War II. This reopening is part of the NHM150 project, a long-term initiative to revitalize or open new galleries annually in anticipation of the museum’s 150th anniversary in 2031. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-25: Natural History Museum in London reopens long-closed gallery London's Natural History Museum will reopen a gallery closed for over 80 years on September 16 with the ‘Nature and Us’ exhibition, featuring 50 historical and natural specimens. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/natural-history-museum-london-to-reopen-gallery-closed-since-wwii ### 2026-08-19: Natural History Museum to reopen hidden gallery closed since WWII London’s Natural History Museum will reopen a secret gallery for the first time since 1943 with the ‘Nature and Us’ exhibition, featuring 50 historic objects exploring human-nature relationships. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/natural-history-museum-to-reopen-hidden-gallery-closed-since-wwii --- Cite as: Natural History Museum gallery reopening. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/natural-history-museum-gallery-reopening