What to See

The star of the permanent collection is the Mineral Hall on the first floor, where crystals and gemstones are arranged in crystal-chemical order — beginning with native elements like gold and silver and building toward silicates such as feldspar and zeolites. The oldest exhibit in the building is a 218-kilogram piece of thread silver from Norway, discovered in 1666 and once part of King Frederik III's cabinet of curiosities.↗↗↗

In the museum's courtyard stands the Agpalilik meteorite, a roughly 20-ton fragment of the Cape York meteorite that landed in Greenland centuries ago. It is one of the largest meteorites on display anywhere in the world, and visitors are encouraged to reach out and touch it. The museum also holds a small rock from the Moon's Taurus-Littrow region, brought back by Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972.↗↗

The dinosaur and paleontology exhibitions bring prehistoric life vividly into the building. A particularly memorable display features Protoceratops skeletons — an adult and a flock of young — frozen in a tender family tableau, surrounded by fossil eggs and redecorated with large, near-photorealistic paintings by Spanish-Mexican paleoartist Luis Rey. The show explores what dinosaur eggs tell us about parental behavior, nest construction, and the surprising variety of egg shapes across species.↗↗

Beyond the permanent displays, the museum hosts changing special exhibitions throughout the year, including the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcase selected from entries worldwide.↗

Visiting with Children

The museum is well-suited to families. The meteorite, the mineral hall, and the dinosaur displays all have a strong tactile and visual appeal that engages younger visitors. On weekends and during school holidays the museum often runs hands-on activities such as fossil casting, rock identification with expert help, and educational games. The café and shop on-site make it easy to manage a visit with small children, though strollers must be parked outside the exhibition halls (the museum lends small umbrella strollers instead).↗↗

Practical Information

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00–17:00, with extended hours on Wednesdays until 21:00. It is closed on Mondays outside of July and August. Admission is 115 DKK for adults and 50 DKK for children aged 3–17 and students with valid ID. The museum accepts the Copenhagen Card and Parkmuseerne card as part of the city's museum-pass partnerships.↗

A café inside the museum overlooks the Botanical Garden and serves light meals, sandwiches, cakes, and hot drinks. A museum shop next to the ticket office sells excavation kits, fossil specimens, and gifts. The entrance is wheelchair accessible, and accessible restrooms are available.↗↗

A Farewell to This Building

If you are visiting before autumn 2026, this is your chance to experience the museum in its atmospheric 1893 home. After November 1, 2026, the exhibitions at Øster Voldgade will close, and in March 2027 a brand-new Natural History Museum building will open at the Sølvtorvet corner of the Botanical Garden, designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter. The new museum will unite all of Denmark's natural-history collections under one roof for the first time.↗↗