Eton College Natural History Museum

More than 16,000 specimens and displays are housed at the museum, exploring themes including Thames Valley wildlife, biodiversity, evolution, and ecology.

 

The exhibits are used extensively for teaching, as well as being open to the public. Schools, youth organisations and interest groups are welcome to visit and the Curator can provide tailored educational activities. 

 

Unique exhibits include a rare surviving page from Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and material relating to famous botanist and Old Etonian Sir Joseph Banks, who sailed on HMB Endeavour with Captain Cook. Near the museum is a garden planted with species which includes direct descendants of plants brought back by Banks from that famous voyage. 

 

The museum was first created to house the Thackeray Collection of British Birds. It opened in 1875 and 20 years later moved to its present site. 

 

There are also extensive collections of insects (mainly butterflies and moths), the William Hincks Herbarium, a full set of Banks’ Florilegium, fossils and birds’ eggs.