For the last two summers, the Natural History Museum garden has been transformed into a tropical rainforest. A large heated tent houses Charlie the iguana (named after Charles Darwin), cockroaches, spiders, 
geckos and lots and lots of butterflies. There is also a small but perfectly formed outdoor playground where children can practise being monkeys and inspect termites burrowing through logs.
It is a great introduction to rainforests, with a little bit of everything that you get in a real rainforest and lots of fact panels and quizzes that were interesting for children as young as four.
The tent felt fiendishly hot after the rather chilly British summer weather outside. Apparently it wasn’t hot enough for the butterflies though, who were feeling sluggish and therefore not flying very much. Considering my friends and I felt like we were experiencing a premature menopause, I thought the butterflies were being rather fussy. But that is my only criticism, otherwise we had a great time.
This post is part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. For more pictures, click here.
kind of dreaming of a hot tent here, or slippers, or a fleece. where’s summer gone? adorable children you have!
Hot tent was a welcome relief from ‘summer’. Thanks for comment about children. The beautiful eyelashes somewhat mitigate the tantrums.
Oh that looks like so much fun. I love the rainforest biome at the Eden Project in Cornwall but it is so hot at the top I feel dizzy. It is because it is humid as well, not just a dry heat. Luckily they sell ice cream in a handy kiosk just before you go in so I have to get some for ‘medicinal purposes’!
Looks great. I’m heading to London in two weeks. Have only ever taken my kids to the NHM in mid winter. Will have to try this.
this sounds like a place for my son!!! he lives for this. and has no fear of touching them at all!
I’m with you on complaining about the heat in butterfly houses…but when the butterflies are happy, you can get some great experiences and photos!
Looks like you had a great day