Natural History Museum reopens WWII-sealed gallery after 83-year closure

The Natural History Museum has finally decided to reopen a hidden gallery that stayed locked for 83 years. London's famous attraction confirmed this historic space, barred since the Second World War began in 1943, will welcome guests again starting September 16. The new Nature and Us exhibition lets people walk into a room sealed long ago and study how humanity interacts with nature through 50 extraordinary objects.

Highlights include a miniature model of a Crystal Palace dinosaur showing Victorian views of prehistory and the skeleton of Jenny, a monk seal killed for public shows. You can also see a Star Wars toy from the 1980s covered in marine life or a 400,000-year-old hand axe that changed how we know about Britain's earliest humans. A replica jaw from one of the oldest domesticated dogs, dating back roughly 14,300 years, is there for visitors to touch.

This reopening drives the museum's NHM150 transformation programme. They plan to unveil a new or refurbished gallery every year before hitting their 150th anniversary in 2031. Located on the second floor of the Waterhouse building in South Kensington, this space used to hold skeleton and mammal displays. It became storage for botanical collections after the herbarium took wartime damage. Many original wooden cabinets still stand, giving a clear look at the room's scientific past.

Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, called it an exciting moment. 'For the first time in over 80 years, visitors will be able to step into this beautiful historic space and explore our changing relationship with the natural world,' he stated. He added that creating new spaces inspires people to become advocates for the planet. The exhibition runs for an initial 18 months while staff gather views to shape a permanent version due in 2029.

The surge comes after the museum overtook the British Museum as the UK's top tourist landmark. For two years, the British Museum led with 6.5 million visitors in 2024 and 5.8 million in 2023. But March figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions show the Natural History Museum took the crown for 2025. Last year, a whopping 7.1 million people explored its vast exhibits, a record-breaking number for any museum or gallery. That figure represents an impressive 13 per cent increase from 2024, which saw 6.3 million visitors. Guests can still gaze at the impressive 25-metre blue whale skeleton named Hope suspended in the central hall.