Shanghai Natural History Museum
The Shanghai Natural History Museum is a museum dedicated to natural history in the city of Shanghai. It is one of the largest museums of natural sciences in China. Formerly housed in the Shanghai Cotton Exchange Building, the museum was moved to a purpose-built site in the Jing'an Sculpture Park in 2015.
English Name: Shanghai Natural History Museum
Chinese Name: 上海自然博物馆
Attraction Type: Natural History, Shanghai Museum
Best Time to Visit: whole year
Recommended Visiting Time: about 1 day
Admission Fee: CNY 12-30
Address in English: No. 399 Shanhaiguan Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai
Address in Chinese: 上海市静安区山海关路399号
Why is Shanghai Natural History Museum so Special?
The Shanghai Natural History Museum is a museum dedicated to natural history in the city of Shanghai. It is one of the largest museums of natural sciences in China. Formerly housed in the Shanghai Cotton Exchange Building, the museum was moved to a purpose-built site in the Jing’an Sculpture Park in 2015.
Where is Shanghai Natural History Museum?
The museum was established in 1956 in the Shanghai Cotton Exchange Building, a classical British structure built in 1923. It was located at 260 East Yan’an Road in Huangpu District, near the intersection of South Henan Road. It was designated a Heritage Building by the Shanghai Municipal Government in 1994. However, the Yan’an Elevated Road has since been constructed within meters in front of the building.
The new 40,000 square-meter building is in the Jing’an Sculpture Park. Opened to the public in 2015, the Shanghai Natural History Museum has moved to the new location.
How to Get There?
- Take metro line 13 and get off at Shanghai Natural History Museum stop. Leave from exit 1 and walk to the museum within 2 minutes.
- Take bus 41, 104, 109, 301, 324, 927, or 955 and get off at Shimen Erlu Shanhaiguanlu Station.
- Take bus 36, 253, 869, or 933 and get off at Chengdu Beilu Xinzhalu Station.
- Take bus 19, 36, 64, 136, or 316 and get off at Xinzhalu Shimen Erlu Station.
History of Shanghai Natural History Museum
This museum comes as a well-funded upgrade of the old Natural History Museum, which was closed due to its ability to only exhibit one percent of its collection at a time, and for being at least a century out of date. This new one sprung up in the middle of the neatly manicured Jing’An Sculpture Park, but in a way that makes it look like the park was actually built around the edifice. The architecture gracefully uses elements of earth, wind, water, sun, and, dare I say, heart. Captain Planet would approve.
Collections and exhibits
The museum has a collection of 240,000 samples, including over 62,000 pieces of animal specimens, 135,000 plant specimens, 700 specimens of the Stone Age, and 1,700 specimens of minerals. There are also rare species which cannot be found elsewhere outside China, such as a Yellow River mammoth, a giant salamander, a giant panda, and a Yangtze Alligator.
The largest exhibit is a 140-million-year-old dinosaur skeleton of Mamenchisaurus hochuanensis Young et Zhao from Sichuan Province, which is over four stories high. The museum also has two mummies and several human embryos.
Useful Travel Tips
1.Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00-17:15 (Tickets are sold from 9:00 to 16:30)
2.Closed: Monday (except public holidays in China)
3.Ticket Price: over 18 years old: CNY 30; under 18 years old and more than 1.3 meters (4.3 feet): CNY 12; under 18 years old and no more than 1.3 meters (4.3 feet): Free
