The Natural History Museum is one of London’s busiest and most popular attractions. With huge exhibitions that dive into the deepest detail of times gone by, the museum is not only a great day out, but a cultural landmark recognised across the globe. In recent years, the museum has looked to up its game by bringing a larger and more varied offering for its visitors, including a packed calendar of events that take place throughout the year.
We’ve have been involved in hundreds of events at this historic venue, every time being blown away by the size and scale of the museum. In this latest instalment of our Meet The Venue series, we look to uncover some of the history behind the famous attraction and how Gallowglass has been able to get involved.
An Introduction to The Museum
It may surprise you to learn that the building was in fact purpose-built, with work starting in 1873 and completing in 1880. The museum holds an almost cathedral-like appearance, inspired by the chief architect on the project, Alfred Waterhouse, a man who frequently visited Europe. It’d be hard to visit the amazing cities of Rome, Paris and others without bringing a little bit of the magic back to good old Blighty. The museum also makes use of terracotta tiling which was used to act as a resistant to the sooty atmosphere of London in the late 1800s.
The current museum is split into a number of sections including The Darwin Centre, The Attenborough Studio and more. These sections of the building look to shine a light on specific elements of natural history and science. Overall, the building is home to roughly 80 million items that sit under five main collections: mineralogy, entomology, botany, palaeontology and zoology. Among its massive collection, there are specimens collected by Charles Darwin, Archie the giant squid and perhaps the most notable, the skeleton of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling.
Events at the Museum
The museum’s packed schedule of events gives people a reason to return, to discover something new and to have a great time. Ranging from silent discos to late night openings, to dinosaur-themed sleepovers, the events they hold are diverse and exciting.
Here at Gallowglass, we’re honoured to have had the chance to work at the Natural History Museum on hundreds of occasions, dating all the way back to 2003. Here’s a brief overview of just a handful of the events we’ve worked on:
Jupiter Ascending
2015 sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending has several scenes shot at the Natural History Museum. The film featured a fantastic cast with stars such as Eddie Redmayne, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. Fortunately, Gallowglass crew had the chance to help out with the filming. Just one of the many film sets we’ve had the pleasure of working on but the list of films also includes; Night at the Museum, Paddington Bear and Wonder Woman.
SHINE Benefit Dinner
SHINE is a fantastic cause that works with children that live in low income homes and helps to support their schooling. The charity holds an annual benefit dinner and in 2015, the Natural History Museum was the host! Gallowglass helped to set up the event with lights, tables, chairs and all other technical equipment being vital for the evening to be a success.
These are just a couple of the events that we’ve had the chance to get involved with over the years. The museum is a fantastic venue that holds amazing events throughout the year. If you are looking to break into the events industry and would like the chance to crew events at venues such as the Natural History Museum, then you’ve come to the right place! We have a range of event crew jobs in London, also in Birmingham and Manchester. Get in touch if you think you have what it takes.
