We had lunch at Pret’s before exploring another museum. This time we had hot items like wrap and soup. I ordered a Macchiato to give me a boost. I was surprised it came in espresso size with a just a dash of milk i.e. very strong and bitter. I was expecting it to be Cappuccino size.
I also had a pastry from Paul’s when we picked up the tickets for a musical that night before we proceed to the Kensington South Station.
There are 3 museums near the Kensington South Station to choose from, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Natural History Museum.We picked the Natural History Museum. There is an open air ice skating ring located outside of the Natural History Museum.
We entered the Natural History Museum from the Exhibition Road entrance to the Earth Galleries. The avenue of sculptures and specimens that shape our ever-changing planet. The Visions of Earth is in the Red Zone.
The escalator brings us to the center of the globe. The giant Earth sculpture is made from iron, zinc and copper.
A mosaic of marble material used during Roman times.
The Vault in the Green Zone displays a dazzling collection of the finest gems, crystals, meteorites and metals from around the world.
The Green Zone also has a section for bird. The species are displayed in Victorian glass cases, including a model of the legendary dodo. A dodo is a flightless bird from Mauritius which extinct by the mid-1600s.
Another section of the Green Zone features Creepy Crawlies like insects, crustaceans, centipedes, spiders and tarantula.
The most impressive hall is the Dinosaur Hall. A full size diplodocus dominates the lobby.
The Blue Zone features Human Biology, Mammals, Dinosaurs and the Images of Nature. The towering arched ceiling ribbed with exposed iron beams was designed in the 1860s using revolutionary Victorian building techniques.
The cathedral-like Central Hall is designed by Alfred Waterhouse.
Charles Darwin statue on top of the grand staircase in the Central Hall.
View of the Central Hall from the Charles Darwin statue.
View of the exterior building upon night fall when we exited.
The blue lights gave it a spooky look.