Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
National Museum of Natural Sciences

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales
Museum's building
Established	1771
Location	Madrid, Spain
Type	Natural history museum
Visitors	500,000 per year

The National Museum of Natural Sciences (Spanish: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales) is a really cool place in Madrid, Spain. It's like a giant treasure chest filled with amazing things from the natural world. Here, you can learn all about animals, plants, rocks, and even dinosaurs! It's managed by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), which is a big science organization.

History of the Museum

This museum has a long and interesting past. It first opened way back in 1771! King Charles III started it as the Royal Cabinet of Natural History. Think of it like a special room where he kept all sorts of cool natural objects.

Later, in 1815, it became the Royal Museum of Natural History. Over the years, its name changed a few times. It finally got its current name, the National Museum of Natural Sciences, in 1913.

The museum began with a huge collection of items. These were given by a Spanish merchant named Pedro F. Dávila. In 1867, some parts of the museum's collections were used to start other famous places. These included the Archeology Museum, the Botanic Garden, and the Zoologic Garden.

In 1987, the museum got a big makeover. It was made much larger with help from two smaller museums. This helped it become the amazing place it is today.

Amazing Collections

The museum has many incredible things to see. Some of the most famous items in its collection include:

• A Megatherium skeleton. This was a giant ground sloth that lived a long time ago. It was brought all the way from Argentina in 1789.
• A Diplodocus skeleton. This huge dinosaur was a gift from a famous American, Andrew Carnegie. He gave it to King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1913.

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  African elephant hunted by Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Alba

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  Section of Natural History
  Diplodocus and other fossils

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  Section of Natural History
  Megatherium skeleton

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  Section of Natural History
  Stegosaurus skeleton

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  Section of Natural History
  Iberomesornis model

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  Mediterranean section
  Gorgonian

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  Mediterranean section
  Giant squid model

Scientific Research

The museum is not just a place to look at old things. It's also a very important center for scientific research! Scientists here study many different topics. Their work helps us understand the natural world better.

The main research areas at the museum are:

• Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology: This is about studying all the different kinds of life on Earth and how they have changed over time.
• Evolutionary Ecology: This looks at how living things interact with their environment and how these interactions change through evolution.
• Paleobiology: This is the study of ancient life, often through fossils. Think dinosaurs and other creatures from millions of years ago!
• Vulcanology: This is the science of volcanoes and everything about them.
• Geology: This involves studying the Earth's physical structure, its rocks, and how it was formed.

See also

In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales para niños