Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands. Author Hay Kranen. WIKIMEDIA

Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is located in Leiden, Netherlands. This is a national museum of natural history and a research centre on biodiversity.

The name of the museum and organisation is relatively recent. However, its history can be traced back to the early 1800s.

It is one of the largest natural history collections in the world. It has approximately 42 million specimens. This includes plants, animals, fossils and stones gathered during the last two centuries.

The centre is an internationally operating research centre. It has over 120 scientists and 200 research associates. Their roles are describing, understanding and explaining biodiversity and geodiversity.

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is established to a large audience as a natural history museum for families. It receives more than 300,000 visitors each year.

In 2021, it was voted the European museum of the year. It was praised by the Jury as a very inventive museum with beautiful exhibitions.

In this article, we will learn the top 10 Remarquable Facts about Naturalis Biodiversity Center

1. The Museum is Located in a Welcoming and Picturesque City

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is located in a welcoming and charming city. The city is steeped in history. It is located within walking distance of Leiden Central, Netherlands.

2. Naturalis Biodiversity Center was Established by the King of the Netherlands

The centre has a long history as an organisation. The beginning of Naturalis dates back to the creation of the National Museum of Natural History,( Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie).

It was established on August 9, 1820. This was by the Dutch King William I. In 1878, the geological and mineralogical collections were split into a separate museums.

They remained distinct until the merger of the National Museum of Natural History and the museum of geological and mineralogical to form the National Museum of Natural History (Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum).

3. The Second most Expensive Museum Building in the Netherlands

In 1986, an idea was initiated that the institution should become a public museum. A new building was designed. The designer was the Dutch architect Fons Verheijen.

The building’s reception is incorporated in the 1657-1661 Pesthuis. Which was designed by Hubert Corneliszoon van Duyvenvlucht.

The building was completed in 1998. It was officially opened on April 7, 1998, by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

The cost of the building was about €60 million. This classified it as the second most expensive museum building in the Netherlands.

Additionally, on January 28, 2010, the National Natural History Museum Naturalis, the zoological museum Amsterdam and the National Herbarium Netherlands were merged. This formed the Biodiversity (NCB) Naturalis.

The combined institute was officially opened as part of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010. It was opened by Education Minister Ronald Plasterk and Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg.

4. It was Affected and Temporary Closed due to The Covid 19 Pandemic

The museum had undergone a renovation from 2015 to 2019. The new building was finished in the summer of 2019. It was opened on August 31 of the year. Unfortunately, a year after its opening, it was closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic until June 2020.

It reopened on June 8 with free entrance for essential workers. The museum opened to the public on July 1 with full-price charges. It closed again in the winters of 2020 and 2021 due to further national COVID-19 measures.

5. Home to Approximately 42 Million Specimens

A chameleon specimen on alcohol in a glass jar. Author. Naturalis Biodiversity Center. WIKIMEDIA

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is established for the numerous objects in its collections. Before the merger with the Zoologisch Museum Amsterdam and the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, it had approximately 10 million zoological and geological specimens.

After the merger, it is home to approximately 42 million specimens. An example of the collection is 14,600,000 insects, 8,000,000 Mollusca,1,600,000 other invertebrates615,000 vertebrates: 380,000 birds, 125,000 fish, 60,000 reptiles and amphibians, 50,000 mammals and 9,100,000 fossils, etc.

The largest part of the collections are stored in a 60-meter-high tower, a landmark in Leiden, opened in April 1998. Some parts of the collections are stored in a depot in the former museum building at the Raamsteeg in the city centre of Leiden.

6. Explore the Over 66 million Years Old Skeletons of Dinosaurs

Natural history museum Naturalis. Exhibition Primeval parade. Dinosaur skeletons Steganosaurus, Edmontosaurus and Camarasaurus supremus.Author Henk Caspers. WIKIMEDIA

The Museum is home to one of the Dinosaur Eras. The gallery of the Dinosaur era housed is Trix which is one of the most complete. Tyrannosaurus skeletons are best preserved.

Additionally, Trix is one of the two only authentic Tyrannosaurus that are permanently kept in Europe. The other one is Tristan, which belongs to the Danish proprietor albeit.

7. Enjoy Several Permanent Exhibitions at the Museum

Natural history museum Naturalis, Exhibition Life. Stuffed gazelle with cheetah, Author Henk Caspers. WIKIMEDIA

They are several Exhibitions that are held at the museum. It presents permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The permanent Exhibitions are as follows. First, is the live science exhibition. This is a highly interactive gallery that displays the institute’s function as a science centre and collection depot to the public.

Secondly, the life exhibit. The museum provides a tour of multiple biotopes. From the deep sea to the sky, showing specimens and replicas of the highlights of the Earth’s present fauna.

Moreover, the Earth exhibits. This Presents the way human culture is entangled with the system on Earth.

Artefacts and minerals from four regions with high geological activity, Hawaii, Japan, Brazil and Iceland are displayed. While surrounded by a Panorama that combines the environment of these regions.

8. Naturalis was Ranked as the 15th most visited museum in the Netherlands in 2013

In 2013, the museum was ranked as the most visited in the Netherlands. It had an estimated 285,000 visitors.

In 2015, it recorded a massive number of visitors. The record was 339,550 visitors.

9. A Scientific Reseat Institute Collaborating with most Dutch Universities

Besides its role as a museum, it also acts as a scientific research institute that collaborates with most Dutch Universities.

Approximately 120 and 200 guest researchers work at Naturalis. They work in nine groups on topics such as biodiversity, botany Marine biology and geology.

The museum is a co-initiator of several citizen science projects. It is also one of the players in one of the largest Dutch Research infrastructure projects.

10. It was named the European Museum of the Year 2021

podzol soil, Author. Naturalis Biodiversity Center.WIKIMEDIA

In 2021, it was voted the European museum of the year. The museum was praised by the Jury as a very inventive museum with beautiful exhibitions.

[Naturalis].. is a very resourceful museum,” the jury stated, “with beautiful exhibitions and numerous events and public services.”

The Naturalis Biodiversity Center holds education Activities. It mainly focuses on teaching visitors more about the richness of nature.