If you’re overwhelmed by the crowds at the Natural History Museum in London, consider a visit to to this amazing museum in Tring.
With its mahogany glass cabinets and vaulted wrought iron ceilings, it continues to look very much as it would have done in the days of its Victorian creator Lionel Walter Rothschild. Just the opportunity to see a pair of Edwardian fleas dressed as Mexican dancers is enough to make the short trip up the A41 worthwhile and there is plenty more to look at.
Astonishingly, entry is free and the Museum is open every day except 24-26 December.
(A small charge is made for some events)
Opening times
Monday to Saturday 10.00-17.00
Sunday 14.00-17.00
History
Walter was the eldest son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who was head of the distinguished firm of merchant bankers NM Rothschild & Sons and Member of Parliament for Aylesbury.
As a child, Walter knew exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up, announcing at the age of seven, ‘Mama, Papa, I am going to make a museum…’. By the time he was ten, Walter had enough natural history objects to start his first museum, in a garden shed.
Before long, Walter’s insect and bird collections were so large they had to be stored in rented rooms and sheds around Tring. Then in 1889, his father gave him some land on the outskirts of Tring Park as a 21st birthday present. Two small cottages were built, one to house his books and insect collection, the other for a caretaker. Behind these was a much larger building, which would contain Lord Rothschild’s collection of mounted specimens. This was the beginning of the Zoological Museum, which opened to the public in 1892.
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