World Museum’s iconic dinosaur gallery reopens with a fresh new look this month

World Museum’s Dinosaurs and Natural World gallery is reopening to the public on Saturday 14 February, reimagined under a new name, Wild World: Dinosaurs and Natural History.

Located on Level 4, the gallery has been closed since November 2025 while work took place to refresh the space. Parts of the gallery dated back more than 60 years, making it the oldest exhibition area in the museum and a place packed with nostalgia for generations of Liverpool families. With World Museum set to celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2026, the reopening marks an important moment in the venue’s history.

The refreshed gallery brings together objects from World Museum’s botany, geology, entomology and zoology collections, with new showcases designed to create a richer, more immersive visitor experience. Visitors can step into dense rainforests beneath hanging canopies, come face to face with lions and lionesses on the African savannah, and explore the icy extremes of the Arctic, Antarctica and Patagonia.

Dinosaurs remain at the heart of the experience, with replicas of fearsome species including Allosaurus and Camptosaurus, alongside fossilised dinosaur droppings. Elsewhere, polar bears and Arctic foxes reveal how animals have adapted to survive in freezing conditions, while buffalo, hyenas, birds and mammals bring rainforest and grassland habitats to life.

Ashley Cooke, Head of World Museum, said: “World Museum welcomes more than 550,000 visitors every year, and this gallery has always been one of the most loved spaces in the building. It’s incredibly special to see grandparents sharing memories of visiting the gallery with their grandchildren.

“Reopening it as Wild World: Dinosaurs and Natural History allows us to keep the objects people know and love, while adding fresh interpretation and immersive elements. We’ve also taken the opportunity to care for and conserve the collection, ensuring it can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

The redesign has been led by Studio MUTT Architects, with bases in Liverpool and London, who have reimagined how visitors experience nature across millions of years. Liverpool design studio Draw & Code has also contributed, creating an immersive virtual reality dinosaur world for the gallery, following previous collaborations with World Museum.

Wild World: Dinosaurs and Natural History opens on Level 4 of World Museum on 14 February 2026 and is free to visit. Visitors are encouraged to keep an eye on National Museums Liverpool for updates, including details of dinosaur-themed events planned for later in the year.

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