National Museum of Natural History, New Delhi, Delhi

The NMNH owes its genesis to Smt. Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister, who while considering new projects to be initiated in 1972 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of India’s Independence, decided that the country needs a Museum of Natural History to depict its flora, fauna and mineral wealth to provide an out of school facility for education of children and to promote environmental awareness among the masses. The NMNH opened its doors to the public in a rented building in Mandi house on 5th June 1978, coinciding symbolically with the World Environment Day.

From a single Museum located in New Delhi, the NMNH has extended its geographical range by establishing Regional Museums of Natural History (RMNH) in many parts of the Country such as Southern Region (Mysore), Central Region (Bhopal) and Eastern Region (Bhubaneswar). Two more Museums are being established in Western Region (Sawai Madhopur) and North-Eastern Region (Gangtok).

The NMNH at New Delhi caters to the needs of visitors by the following:

1. Visitor services: Includes various educational programmes, publications, information services, film shows etc.
2. Exhibition services: Includes various types of Exhibitions such as Permanent (Galleries), and Temporary. It also includes specialised resources such as Discovery Room and Activity room.