The History Of Madrid's Natural Science Museum In 1 Minute

The National Natural Science Museum in Madrid is one of Spain‘s oldest museums, founded in the year 1772 by King Charles III. Today it remains an important center for conservation and research in the natural sciences and one of Madrid’s most popular attractions.
The origins of the museum can be traced to the donation of a private collection owned by a Spanish merchant and naturalist Pedro F. Dávila. After having refused several offers to purchase his collection, he offered to donate it to King Charles III on the condition that they become part of a public collection known as the Real Gabinete de Historia Natural de Madrid. This is the predecessor to many of Madrid’s museums today, including the National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of the Americas. For a long time the Royal Botanic Garden and Royal Zoo also formed part of the museum until they separated in 1867 and the Royal Archaeological Museum was created. After a number of changes of location, in 1907 the museum finally settled in its current residence, the former Palace of Industry and Arts. The palace had been constructed by Spanish architect Fernando de la Torriente for the National Exhibition of Industry and Arts in 1801.

© José-Manuel Benito Álvarez / WikiCommons

The museum suffered greatly during the Spanish Civil War and the subsequent dictatorship, and it was not restored to its former glory until the mid 1980s when the government decided to invest in major restructuring. Today the museum counts over six million pieces in its collection and employs over 300 people across the board. Its many areas of research and conservation are biogeography and climate change, biodiversity and evolutionary biology, evolutionary ecology, geology, and paleo-biology. It aims to act as an important educational center and organizes a series of workshops and temporary exhibits throughout the year, including special workshops for children and young adults.

📅 Tue – Fri: 10am – 5pm
Sat, Sun, and Bank Holidays: 10am – 8pm
Sat and Sun in August: 10am – 5pm

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.