National Museum of Natural History - Heritage Malta

National Museum of Natural History - Heritage Malta
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is situated within Palazzo Vilhena, a landmark structure in the silent city of Mdina.
Commissioned in 1724 by Grand Master
Antonio Manoel de Vilhena
, the palace was designed by the French architect
Charles François de Mondion
in the Parisian Baroque style.
Before its conversion into a museum, the building served several distinct roles: it functioned as a temporary hospital during the 1837 cholera outbreak, a sanatorium for British military personnel starting in 1860, and a dedicated tuberculosis clinic until its closure in January 1956.
The museum was officially inaugurated on 22 June 1973, marking a shift towards the systematic preservation of Malta’s biological and palaeontological heritage.
Its primary mandate involves the acquisition, curation, and conservation of specimens, with a specific focus on the endemic and indigenous flora and fauna of the Maltese archipelago.
The current repository houses more than 10,000 mineral and geological items, 12,000 specimens of birds and mammals, and collections of hundreds of thousands of molluscs, insects, and fossils.
Exhibition spaces are organised thematically, spanning topics from palaeontology to marine biology.
Each hall honours a specific local natural historian, acknowledging those who documented Malta’s ecosystems and the organisms thriving within them.
The
Joe Sultana
Hall examines the unique ecology of the satellite islets: Filfla, Fungus Rock, St Paul’s Islands, and Comino, while the ornithology hall, named after the first Maltese natural history curator
Giuseppe Despott
, presents a global perspective on avian diversity through systematic classification.
The
Lewis Mizzi
Hall provides further specialised insight, displaying a significant portion of Mizzi’s historic mineralogical collection.
Beyond its role as a repository, the institution serves as a centre for active research and community engagement.
The museum’s mission is sustained through fieldwork, public lectures, temporary exhibitions, and scientific outreach.
It also facilitates academic discourse through publications such as its peer-reviewed, open-access periodical, the
Bulletin of the National Museum of Natural History
,
Malta
, ensuring that local biological and palaeontological research remains accessible to the international scientific community.
Download the Bulletin of the
National Museum of Natural History, Malta.
Volume
1
(Issue
1
)
Download the Bulletin of the
National Museum of Natural History, Malta.
Volume
1
(Issue
2
)
Download the Bulletin of the
National Museum of Natural History, Malta.
Volume
2
(Issue
1
)
Download the Bulletin of the
National Museum of Natural History, Malta.
Volume
2
(Issue
2
)
Download the Bulletin of the
National Museum of Natural History, Malta.
Volume
3 (Special Issue).
FACILITIES AVAILABLE ON SITE
Lockers
Nappy Changing Facility
National Museum of Natural History
Museum,

Site,

Palace
Click link below for opening hours:
21455951
National Museum of Natural History,
L-Imdina,
Malta
Adults (18+):
€5.00
Youths (12-17):
€3.50
Senior Citizens (60+):
€3.50
Concessions & Students:
€3.50
Children (6-11):
€2.50
Infants (1-5):
Free
Heritage Malta Members:
FREE
Heritage Malta Passport Holders:
FREE
Book now
Opening Hours
This site meets the following accessibility requirements:
Fully Accessible Toilets
Lockers
Nappy Changing Facilities
Autism Friendly
Autism Friendly
Museum / site has designated quiet spaces.
Wednesdays from 1pm to 4 pm at the National Museum of Archaeology.
Tuesdays from 1pm to 4pm at the National Museum of Natural History.
National Museum of Archaeology Sensory Map
National Museum of Archaeology Social Story
National Museum of Natural History Sensory Map
National Museum of Natural History Social Story
Partial Accessibility
Partial Accessibility
Some areas of the museum / site cannot be fully accessed by persons with mobility impairment.
Download Sensory Map
Download Social Story
Access Statement
Interested in experiencing this site aided by a guided tour from one of talented tour guides?
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Gallery
Virtual Experience
Getting Here
Address
National Museum of Natural History,
Pjazza Publju,
L-Imdina,
Malta
Get Directions
Public Transport
The closest bus stop is 5 minutes on foot. Interested in getting here by public transport?
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Answers to the most common questions about the National Museum of Natural History.
The display areas cover various topics including the local biodiversity and ecology, geology and palaeontology, minerology, human evolution, marine fauna, skeletal structures, insects, shells and birds.
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