Portsmouth Natural History Museum

The natural world is incredible!  And Portsmouth is a very special place for wildlife in Britain. It has many different habitats in a very small area, and at Portsmouth Natural History Museum you can explore them all.

The museum tells the story of the wild things of the riverbank, marshes, woods and urban areas of Portsmouth. Have a look for the heron stalking its prey and the Brent geese coming into land after their 3,000 km flight from the arctic.

You can also learn about Portsmouth's geology and take a look at some specimens from ancient times. The displays are designed to allow visitors a view of the natural world as they could never see it in real life - up close and in depth. 

There are over 114,000 natural science specimens collected both in the south east of England and further afield.

The A to Z of Natural History display features a selection of them. From tiny insects, to fossils which are millions of years old, you will be amazed at the variety in the city's collections! 

There are several reasons for keeping and caring for natural science specimens.  They can be a valuable resource for helping us to understand the world around us, providing useful information about the flora and fauna in an area at a particular time.  Scientists can identify and analyse changes and predict trends for the future by comparing specimens from the same place collected at different times.  We hope that you enjoy this new display and that it inspires you to take a closer look at the natural world where you live.

Portsmouth Natural History Museum also houses a butterfly house.

Butterfly House

Between May and September you can walk through the butterfly house filled with living insects and plants. The temperature is kept at a high level so that we can support exotic butterflies as well as some beautiful foreign plants. In winter months it is still possible to search for caterpillars under the palm leaves but the butterflies themselves do not fly in the colder part of the year.

Information for Schools

There is plenty to do on your visit to Cumberland House and lots of links to National Curriculum topics.

Discover the habitats of Portsmouth. See butterflies from May to September and look out for other live specimens. See how artists are
inspired by nature. Touch some fossils. Examine the teeth of predators and prey. It can link to topics like plants and animals, classification, adaptation, life cycles, earth, sun and moon. Key Stage 1 children especially enjoy seeing Emily the dinosaur!

Museum Fact Sheets

Click here to read the bat fact sheet
Click here to read the blue-tit fact sheet
Click here to read the sea mouse fact sheet
Click here to read the bee-eater fact sheet