New Darwin Centre at London's Natural History Museum
 

The new Darwin Center opened last month at Natural History Museum in London - has anyone been to the new section yet? I'd love to hear about it.

I've been reading about how the modern architecture is juxtaposed with old and it's a huge increase in exhibit space. Just one of the items they now have room to disply is "Archie" a giant squid over 28 feet long. And best of all, the Natural History Museum is free as always!

"has anyone been to the new section yet?"

No. Forget the architecture ("new juxtaposed with old" is about as unusual in London as a pub selling warm beer). Its requirement for prebooking combines the imbecility of free entry (which means taxpayers in Sunderland subsidise New Yorkers' holidays, thereby switching a museum's budget from acquisitions and maintenance to managing crowds of tourists) with the inconvenience of paid-for admission.

The one joy of the free-entry system is that you can pop in to a museum if you discover you've got an hour spare and you're in that part of town. Pre-booking limits the Centre's use to more of those bloody parties of uninterested schoolchildren that are the curse of London museums these days or to a pre-organised option for divorced fathers for something they can do with the brats on those Sunday afternoons they've got custody.

Ouch.

I'd like to thank the taxpayers of New York City for letting me wander around Central Park and ride on the Staten Island Ferry free of charge.

Also the taxpayers of Salt Lake City for providing me with free internet access in their wonderful public library on production of my passport.

What goes around comes around. Please enjoy our free museums.

Haven't been to the new Darwin center, but a few years ago we enjoyed the special small group visit where they take you into the part of the museum where they keep a specimen of every animal and plant in jars or other preservation. Even a few samples that Darwin himself brought back on the HMS Beagle. You don a little lab coat and get escorted through the research part of the museum. Yes, you have to reserve, but I don't think the online charge was more than a pound or so and truly a unique experience.