Even your parents, when they were your age, came here with your grandparents to admire the world history! The halls are organized by themes and subjects… Choose the one you are interested in the most, and if you are getting bored proceed at a brisk pace… You can come back again!
Close to the entrance of the second hall, you can find some very precious stones and crystals you surely have never seen before, like the biggest sulfur crystal ever… The next hall may be quite boring for you but you can admire some lesser-known and beautiful stones in their showcases. Then you will enter another big hall where you will surely find a lot of things that will capture your attention: from a vast range of fossils (ancient living beings trapped in the rock) to both small and big prehistoric animals skeletons… Don’t be afraid, they are just skeletons!
From now on – if you are curious and you like nature – you will surely be amazed… So many creatures, from mollusks to dinosaurs… You will see how animals evolved from sea to terrestrial creatures, you will find a fantastic triceratops, a scary tyrannosaurus and much more! Leave the dinosaurs hall… Here is the human being, or better, his ancestor: the ape! You will understand the evolution of human beings, how their head grew bigger, how they started walking on their hind legs and how they learned – little by little – to build everything needed to survive! Going on, you will arrive where you would have never wanted -the insects halls! Brrrr, spine-chilling, fortunately they are all locked inside!
On the upper floor there are 12 rooms with well- and lesser-known animals, you will discover everything about them and their natural habitats – so realistic that they look alive. Firstly, tropical sea environments and… You will not believe your eyes: the huge skeleton of a sperm whale right in front of you, hanging from the ceiling! Then rainforests along with the animals living in… Then mountain forests, the ices of the north and south pole, and, finally, savannahs, prairies and deserts… You will learn about every environment and any animal living in! Your tour will end with the Italian parks, created to protect various species of animals and trees.
Well, now you know how much struggle and time it took to get here, to our times, and you should start – in you own small way – to protect and respect the nature and all its creatures… Remember, nature was born before men and men would not be able to live without nature!
If you still want to have a walk around here – after having discovered everything about the world history – remember you are very close to Ulrico Hoepli Planetarium! Otherwise, if it is lunchtime or you want to grab a bite, we advise you some places right nearby such as Bar Bianco, close to the playground…
Either for lunch or a quick bite, at the corner of Via Conservatorio and Corso Monforte you will find Caveja Piadinerie, a small place, very clean and cheap take-away, or Latteria Carlon just beyond Via Salvini arch, where you will be able to eat a traditional Milanese dish in an ancient ambiance preserving its authentic atmosphere.
If is it a pleasant spring day and you want to have a snack while sitting on the park, in Via Salvini 3, you can taste the artisan products of an excellent bakery/patisserie owned by A. Giordano, while, if you want to have a packed lunch but you haven’t brought your sandwiches, you can find Zoppi&Gallotti delicatessen shop: quite pricy as for delicatessen, yet perfect for a cheap and high-quality ham sandwich!
Whilst taking a stroll around after your lunch or snack, don’t forget to have a look – in via dei Cappuccini 3 – between the railings… You will feel to be in a small Caribbean island, indeed – among the lush foliage – you can spot a beautiful pink flamingos colony that, with the passing of time, have adapted to Milan climate: they safely breed and they are not afraid anymore because they are used to be spied on by passers-by for many many years!
200 meters far from here, in via Serbelloni 10, you can see a strange and huge marble ear that – hear ye – was used almost 100 years ago as a doorbell thanks to the propagation of sound… Alas, to date this sculpture is the only hint survived!
USEFUL INFORMATION
telephone: 02.43980402
Opening times:
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30am till 5.30pm (5pm last entrance)
Closing times:
Closed on Mondays
price:
Full fare ticket €3
Half fare ticket €1.50 (>65 and university students)
FREE entrance every day from 5pm and on Fridays from 2pm
FREE entrance <18 years old
How to get there:
tram line 1-9
tube line M1 Palestro/ PortaVenezia
