We’ve got a friend and two kids (6 and 8 ) staying for a couple of days, and in spite of a determined No campaign we’ve had to accept a democratic majority vote on visiting the Nat Hist today. On a lovely sunny August day in the middle of the school holidays. Marvelous.

Any tips for surviving the ordeal? Hip flask being filled as I type. I do know about the ‘secret’ entrance, so hoping to avoid the horrendous queues at the main entrance. Steel cap boots advisable? Good thing is, we’re only 25 mins away by tube, so a quick NatExit is always an option.

I do know that the medieval art section at the V+A is usually pretty empty, so that could serve as an emergency bolt-hole.

I’ve done this and lived to tell the tale. Do use the ‘secret entrance’ as it will save some time. Kids will invariably want to see the dinosaur section and there is no way around the long queues for this bit of the museum at this time of year. Get it over and done with at the beginning. You could also bolt to the Science Museum on the same road which is likely to be less crowded (and quite intersting imo).

Get there early! We went a couple of years ago and got there early (45 mins before opening, I think). Bit of a wait to get in (until it opened) but got round the dinosaurs twice before the queue for them formed.

When it got too busy, we were about ready to leave.

Were (am still) ignorant of the secret entrance but had a pretty good visit anyway.

Edit – Science Museum + 1, that was where we headed when the Nat History museum got too crowded.

Go look at the mineralogy section on the 2nd or 3rd floor of Hintze Hall. It will bore them senseless and you’ll get out quicker.

(Do the opposite if they’re materials engineers/ geologists)

take a lunch to avoid the ques at the cafe.

I thought you were off to be an exhibit at the socialist dinosaur section.

😀

It will be a hell of a scrum. Elbow and shin pads will help you cope.

euain +1

Get there early before opening and queue to get in. Go straight to the dinosaur section and it should be pretty quiet. Be all done by lunchtime, when it gets really busy, and go to the science museum in the afternoon!

I’m taking Miss Beaker here at the end of the month and this is a timely thread…. Where is this secret entrance of which you speak? Any other good gen and pointers would be great!

The garden is an oasis of calm. Great place to escape the hoards for a bit and it is amazingly diverse in habitat terms.

Oooh, didn’t know about the secret entrance. Will be taking monkey jnr there in a couple of weeks so ta for the heads up.

Good luck. I took my boys (9&6) to the Science Museum a couple of weeks ago. Too hot, too crowded, especially for us northern monkeys used to open spaces. We binned it after half an hour and went to London Zoo instead, where amongst other things they got to see a monkey doing a shit close up, which they were delighted with.

lol. My first visit to London Zoo I got squirted with Tapir pee and bought a ‘London’ T-shirt which I then got the mickey taken out of me for by a street performer in covent garden. London eh!

As well as looking at the exhibits take some time to look at the building itself. IMHO its an architectural masterpiece.

This^ +1 both inside and out.

Get there early!

Posted at 10am so already way too late to be there early!

lol. My first visit to London Zoo I got squirted with Tapir pee and bought a ‘London’ T-shirt which I then got the mickey taken out of me for by a street performer in covent garden. London eh!

The tee shirts are there to mop up tapir pee!
No self-respecting Englishman buys a London tee shirt, even ironically: small children and street entertainers point at you and take the piss!
As you’ve found out, to your cost. 😉

Well, rocked up about 12.45, and there was a long queue for the Exhibition road entrance. Staff weren’t letting people through the entrance from the tube station. But then we went onto the main road, and then just down the slope and along to the main entrance bit, and there was a small queue of about 30 people, and we got in in about 5 minutes. 😀 Busy inside, but not unbearable. The butterfly exhibition in the grounds outside was well worth the visit (and entrance fee!). Went and had coffee and cake in the V+A, then looked at the jewellery and theatre/performance sections. Bit of paddling in the fountain pond, and all in all, a very successful and remarkably stress-free trip!

I think we were very lucky. I wouldn’t recommend going in the summer holidays, ever.

Go look at the mineralogy section on the 2nd or 3rd floor of Hintze Hall. It will bore them senseless and you’ll get out quicker.

(Do the opposite if they’re materials engineers/ geologists)

I had to spend 2 hours in there with my eldest.

Every
Single
Case

We also lost a two year old for 15 heart stopping minutes.