Explore the Museum

Museum founder Walter Rothschild bought this polar bear from the Northeast Siberian Trading Company. This specimen is one of many animals which were traded between North America and Siberia. It is thought to have provided the inspiration for Raymond Briggs' book, The Bear.

Where can I see it?
Case 17

In 1906 Walter bought George the mandrill and gave him to London Zoo to care for. George was well loved by the public and became a celebrity, even meeting US President Roosevelt. George died in 1916 and joined the Museum's collection.

Where can I see it?
Case 20

This emperor penguin is a type specimen, one of the first collected and could have been part of the several specimens from which the species was scientifically described. It is believed to be the oldest specimen on display in the Museum at Tring. It was collected on an Antarctic expedition between 1839 and 1843 by Joseph Dalton Hooker, who was a famous botanist and one of Charles Darwin's closest friends.

Where can I see it?
Case 8

The strange looking aye-aye is believed to bring bad luck. Its fingers are used to scoop out fruit flesh or tap hollow wood to check for insects, although some people believe an aye-aye pointing at you is a bad omen.

Where can I see it?
Case 19

There are several zebras in the collection, including Burchell's zebra, named after English explorer William John Burchell, and Grevy's zebra, named after the then-president of France. Walter trained zebras to pull a carriage, using a pony at the front for them to follow.

Where can I see them?
Cases 2 to 5

This rare specimen is an extinct quagga, one of the few examples still available to display. The quagga became extinct in 1883. Its name comes from its cry, which sounded like 'kwa-ha-ha'.

Where can I see them?
Case 6

This species (also known as the giant eland) was named after Edward Smith Stanley, the thirteenth Earl of Derby, who was famed for his zoological collection. Elands are mostly found in central Africa. Mainly nocturnal, they can leap 1.5 metres in the air and run at speeds of over 70 kilometres per hour.

Where can I see it?
Case 10

Walter bought this specimen from a Russian collector who brought it from Gansu, China. The panda is in the raccoon case as it shares traits with both bears and raccoons. Although it was originally thought to be a type of raccoon, DNA testing shows it belongs to the Ursidae family.

Where can I see it?
Gallery 6

Walter kept 144 giant tortoises in his lifetime, including Aldabra and Galápagos tortoises. He rented a heated greenhouse and experimented with different diets, finding that the tortoises liked squash but not bananas. He even leased the island of Aldabra in the Indian Ocean in a bid to stop the decline in numbers of tortoises due to hunting.

Where can I see them?
Cases 54 and 55

Our new temporary display considers the unusual birds which Walter kept around Tring Park and the contribution of the Rothschild family to our understanding of birds and their conservation. Today the aviaries at Waddesdon Manor make a significant contribution towards bird conservation efforts worldwide.

On display is a Fischer’s turaco, the team at Waddesdon Manor co-ordinate the European programme for maintaining the genetic diversity of this species within the captive population and has been very successful with breeding them.

Museum Café

Take a break from exploring and enjoy a fantastic selection of hot and cold drinks, lunches, cakes, children’s lunches and daily specials, with take away options available.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-mid afternoon.

High Chairs are available and the café is also open to non-Museum visitors.

The Museum cafe is on the lower ground level. Enter the cafe from our Akeman Street Car Park, by using the lift or by going round the outside of the building. To get to the cafe from the car park you have to go down two steps or a short slope. The cafe doors are 138cm wide. There are male and female toilets outside the cafe within 10 metres. To get to these toilets you have to go up one step. Both male and female toilets have baby changing facilities.

Picnic areas

You can eat packed lunches in the indoor (Walter's Workshop) and outdoor picnic areas.

Some outdoor picnic benches have lift-up seats for wheelchair users.

Shop

Find a great range of nature-inspired gifts for all ages, including mineral specimens, soft toys, games, books, posters and greetings cards. The shop is on the ground floor and is open Tuesday-Sunday and bank holidays, 10.00-17.00.