The digital events evolution of the Natural History Museum

The renowned museum has been creative with its online events and exhibitions to adapt to lockdown restrictions. This includes a virtual tour perfect for Fantastic Beasts fans

The Natural History Museum entrance. Image credit: Kevin Mueller, Unsplash

If you’ve felt starved of culture during the pandemic, the Natural History Museum has started hosting online exhibitions to satisfy your cravings for knowledge.

Rhino exhibit at the museum. Image credit: Dan Visan, Unsplash

One exhibition that is particularly popular among visitors and fans of the Wizarding World is Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature. An exhibit based on the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling’s follow-up to the Harry Potter books, it has now become a 360° virtual tour on the Natural History Museum website. It cross-examines all the magical creatures in the book and explains how these fictional monsters have been inspired by real animals displayed in glass cases around the museum. People are challenged to spot the animals that share “amazing abilities” with the fantastic beasts. This could be an Erumpent and rhinoceros, or an eagle and Buckbeak the Hippogriff.

Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Image credit: Rhii Photography, Unsplash

Another exhibit available on the museum’s website presents an image gallery of the winning photos for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. The website boasts that, without leaving their homes, people can “explore some of the world's richest habitats”. You can even chat with the museum’s scientists about their work behind the scenes every Tuesday at 3pm.

The museum has continued to post press releases to keep the public updated. It has been confirmed that these online events will go on until April 2021. For now, the doors to all museums and galleries in the UK remain closed to the public.