Guide to Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi: Timings, ticket prices and child-friendly attractions

The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is opening its doors this weekend.

The cultural institution spans 35,000 square metres and takes visitors on a 13.8-billion-year journey through time and space. The skeleton of Stan, the world-famous 11.7-metre-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, a 7-billion-year-old meteorite and a recreation of Abu Dhabi from 7 million years ago, are among the star attractions.

Here, we answer all of your burning questions about the new museum.

Where is Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and when is it opening?

The museum is located in Saadiyat Cultural District on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. It is next door to TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, which opened its doors in February this year, and across from the Abrahamic Family House.

The museum will be open to the public from Saturday, November 22. At the time of writing, there are still tickets available to buy online for opening weekend.

The site offers free parking for visitors.

What are the opening hours?

The museum is open from 10am to 6.30pm from Monday to Thursday; and 10am to 8.30pm from Friday to Sunday.

The first entry of the day is at 10am, while the last ticket slot you can buy is from 5pm to 6pm on weekdays, and 7pm to 8pm on weekends. After booking an arrival timeslot, guests are free to wander at their own pace within museum opening hours.

Information for public holidays has not yet been released.

How much are tickets?

The museum has a number of ticketing options, which are listed below, but, broadly, entry is Dh70 for adults, and free for children under the age of 18 as well as for people of determination.

Full list of ticket options:

• Adults: Dh70
• Fazaa and Esaad cardholders: Dh45.50
• UAE university students, aged 18 and above (with valid ID): Dh32.50
• UAE-employed teachers (with valid ID): Dh32.50
• UAE Military and Homat Al Watan: Dh32.50
• Children under the age of 18: Free
• People of determination and their companions: Free
• UAE-based seniors, aged 60 and above: Free
• Journalists on assignment, ICOM and ICOMOS members: Free

Tickets can be bought online.

Is there somewhere to eat?

Nayzak cafe will serve hot and cold meals and drinks. It is located in the entrance atrium before the ticketed area.

There are also two museum shops. One is within the museum, close to the temporary exhibition space, and the other is in the entrance atrium.

Is the museum accessible?

Yes. There is stair-free access to the museum and elevators that take guests down to the entrance.

Inside, there are accessible facilities and the museum is on a single floor, with ramp access.

What can you see in the museum?

The Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi has an expansive collection. It is the largest institution of its kind in the region and home to some of the rarest specimens on the planet.

Its galleries span a 13.8-billion-year journey through time and space, from the beginnings of the universe to glimpses of a predicted future.

The museum houses five permanent galleries: The Story of Earth, The Evolving World, The Lost World of Abu Dhabi, Our World and Resilient Planet. There is also space for temporary exhibitions.

Highlights from the museum’s collection include the Stan the T-rex, one of the best-preserved and most-studied fossils of the Late Cretaceous predator. Another key attraction is a 1.3kg fragment of Murchison, a 7-billion-year-old pre-solar meteorite.

Spaces dedicated to children include the Dino Play area and an education zone. Dino Play is open to children up to the age of six, and invites them to feed a baby Spinosaurus, fly the wings of a Pteranodon and climb inside a Diplodocus tree-house.

A herd of Sauropods, long-necked dinosaurs, is displayed inside the welcome atrium.

What are the temporary exhibitions?

On opening, there will be three temporary attractions, including two exhibitions, March of the Triceratops: The Herd and Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The Triceratops exhibition displays a herd of the three-horned dinosaurs’ fossils, with information about how they lived and moved millions of years ago. It is being shown in collaboration with Naturalis Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands.

The second exhibition is a display of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners in collaboration with Natural History Museum London, showing 100 striking wildlife images from around the world.

A Journey Through Time will be screened in the theatre. The 20-minute film is an immersive story of the birth of the universe and traces the wonders of our planet.

From the National website