Don’t be put off visiting London’s Natural History Museum by the thought of long queues waiting to see the dinosaur gallery. Here are some tips from our recent London fun visit to help you make the most of all the attractions on offer – without missing those all-important dinos!

Our London fun Natural History Museum Review starts with a wet weather forecast .... our hearts soon filled with dismay at the sight of hundreds of people, many with buggies and toddlers in tow, all striding determinedly along the Victorian tiled tunnel that led from the tube to the Natural History Museum. Many were huddled under umbrellas. Yes, it was a wet Saturday and they had all had the same idea as us – a top indoor London attraction. We also knew that top on every kids list was the dinosaur room!

Sure enough, as we passed it, the queue marker boards were advising waiting times of 1 hour, then 2 hours. As luck would have it though, we made the right decision. We decided we had nothing to lose by doing the dinosaurs last. At worst, surely the line couldn’t get any longer – we guessed the likelihood was that those not enjoying the benefit of local London accommodation would probably have to leave earlier to get out of the city.

We took our time enjoying the rest of the galleries. The huge shark and the human body galleries proved particularly popular with the kids. An extra tip for getting the most out of a visit to the Natural History Museum is to take your own picnic. There is a dedicated picnic room on the basement floor equipped with tables and chairs, and clean modern toilets are also nearby. This is often quicker than waiting in line at the cafeteria or leaving the museum – and considerably cheaper!

We returned to the Dinosaur exhibit at about four o’clock and were pleasantly surprised to find the queue had indeed shrunk! This time the waiting advice board reported a much more respectable half an hour - just time to enjoy a fruit juice carton and read the information boards about the magnificent dinosaur skeleton specimens outside while we queued. A good tip would be to invest in one of those folding walking stick seats!

Once inside the gallery, the atmosphere was dim and calm. The menacing giant dinosaur model was well-placed as the queue trails right around it, allowing an almost 3D experience of the beady little red eye peering down! A whipping T-Rex tail and low thundery growling added a few frights for the younger visitors.

There is now a raised walkway above the exhibits which we found to be very helpful as it was then possible to gain a more 3D impression of the dinosaur skeletons. However, we did notice that families with buggies were struggling a bit as the queue keeps moving and more people press forward from behind. The information boards alongside were minimal but informative however, and didn’t take long to read.

Once at ground level, there seemed to be more space and the crowd thinned a little. We had plenty of time to browse all the exhibits, which were presented linear-style. The information was well-pitched, with something to interest everyone from the highly-educated to the pre-schooler.

Needless to say, the next stop as far as the kids were concerned was the shop! But that’s another story!