Geological Museum, Geological collection in South Kensington, United Kingdom
The Geological Museum holds over 30,000 minerals, fossils, and rock specimens located within the Natural History Museum's red zone in South Kensington. The displays explain how Earth formed and changed over time through its geological materials.
Henry De la Beche established this institution in 1835 as the Museum of Economic Geology, initially housing specimens at Craig's Court in Whitehall. The current building was constructed between 1929 and 1933 as part of the Natural History Museum's expansion.
The collection demonstrates how mineral and rock resources shaped industrial development across Britain. Visitors can see how natural materials became essential to the country's economic growth and manufacturing heritage.
Visitors can use the Identification and Advisory Service where specialists examine personal rock, mineral, or fossil discoveries and provide detailed information. Plan extra time for hands-on displays and interactive sections that help explain how geological processes work.
The building itself incorporates geological materials into its structural design, making the architecture an example of how stone and minerals are used in construction. This creates a special connection between the specimens inside and the materials that form the walls around them.
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