A prehistoric animal greets the visitor to the National Museum of Natural History preparing him for the collections of botanical, zoological and geological objects on view within. Some of the interesting pieces displayed are natural history specimens like stuffed animals, butterflies, birds as well as information about rare plants and endangered species.

National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Delhi serves as the subsidiary office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. It was inaugurated and opened to the general public on 5th June 1978, the World Environment Day.

Set up with the aim of encouraging environmental education and initiating conservation consciousness, it serves as one of the perfect means to introduce children into the world of flora and fauna. A number of in-house and outreach activities are undertaken at the museum.

The motto of National Museum of Natural History is 'Educating while entertaining'. It aims at educating people about the rich flora and fauna of the country, while keeping them entertained. The museum comprises of four theme-based galleries and a number of hands-on activity areas. The first gallery provides a basic idea about the evolution of life, along with the brief introduction of the flora and fauna, their natural habitats and the threats they are facing. The second gallery is based on our ecosystems and the dangers they face.

The third gallery of the Natural History Museum revolves the endangered species of birds and animals in the India subcontinent. Here, stress has been given on conveying the importance, as well as the methods, of conservation. The fourth, and the last, gallery is based on 'Cells and Tissues'. Here, one can know about the structure and functions of the smallest unit of life, along with the basic difference between plant and animal cells and other related issues. The museum also has a Discovery Room.

In this room, children get a chance to handle specimens, along with undertaking creative activities like animal modeling. National Museum of Natural History, situated in New Delhi, also comprises of a Bio-Science Computer Room, an Activity Room and a Mobile Museum and so on. An added attraction of the museum is a film show that is held everyday between 11:30 am to 3:30 pm. Last but not the least, in order to further enhance the environmental awareness, lectures and exhibitions are also organized frequently.

The first gallery of the museum presents an introduction to the origin and evolution of life and presents the variety and diversity of the flora and fauna of India. It has sections presenting plants and animals in their natural habitat, information about endangered animals, patterns, adaptation and life cycle of terrestrial, aerial and aquatic animals and pollination process in different types of flowers. The next gallery of the museum gives an overview of the major ecosystem of the world, issues concerning environmental hazards, food chains, and inter-relationship between man, flora and fauna.

Throwing light on conservation, the third gallery of the museum informs its importance through life size dioramas and models. The whole process of deforestation, the need of tropical rain forests, depletion of wildlife, the problem of pollution and population are all well explained through a range of intriguing exhibits. The pièce de résistance of this gallery is the exhibit the attributing the contribution of Bishnoi community of Rajasthan to conservation of flora and fauna.

The fourth gallery of the museum is solely dedicated to 'Cell', the structural and functional unit of life. It explains the structure, functions, difference between plant and animal cells and many other related issues through large displays and models.

A must visit place for children and school students, the museum has a large collection of fossils and stuffed animals and birds apart from a Discovery Room, a Bio-Science Computer Room, an Activity Room and a Mobile Museum.

The museum provides guided tours of the galleries by Educational Assistants at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM every day. On special request, the museum authorities organize useful interaction sessions for students and provide loan kits to schools to enrich classroom teaching as well as Teacher Orientation Programme.