Our Story with David Attenborough: NHM's Immersive Show Extended
With the Easter holidays approaching, many South Kensington families will be looking for something beyond the dinosaurs. The Natural History Museum has an answer in Our Story with David Attenborough, its first immersive experience. It opened in the Jerwood Gallery on 19 June 2025, was originally due to close on 18 January, and has been extended until 30 August 2026 after strong demand. The museum says more than 80,000 people had seen it by the time the extension was announced.
What it is
Our Story is a show rather than a conventional exhibition. Over roughly 50 minutes, Sir David Attenborough guides visitors through some four billion years of Earth's history and humanity's much more recent part in it. Scientifically accurate animation and real-world footage are projected across the gallery's walls and floor, so you stand inside the story rather than looking at it in cases. The tone builds towards hope: the closing message is about how people can work with the planet rather than against it.
It was made with Sir David and Open Planet Studios, and the original score by Nick Powell has been released on streaming platforms if you want to relive it on the way home.
Who it suits
The museum recommends it for ages eight and up, with a minimum age of four. In practice that makes it ideal for primary-age children and teenagers, and it is equally absorbing for adults who grew up with Attenborough's voice. Anyone sensitive to large-scale projection should know the imagery fills the room.
Tickets
Adult tickets start at £20 and are sold in timed slots through the museum's Our Story page. Members receive 50 per cent off, and membership also brings free entry to Wildlife Photographer of the Year, currently on show until 12 July. With school holidays about to start, book weekday slots early. The museum's announcement of the extension also mentions a companion book, Our Story: The Remarkable Story of an Extraordinary Species, by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes, published by John Murray Press and sold in the museum shop. It makes a thoughtful follow-up for older children who come out of the gallery with questions, and a good reminder of the visit once the holidays are over.
Make a day of it
- Pair the show with Wildlife Photographer of the Year for a full morning, then let children loose in the free permanent galleries.
- The V&A and the Science Museum are both on Exhibition Road, so older children with energy to spare can carry on after lunch.
- For a break, Hyde Park is a ten-minute walk north via Exhibition Road.
Getting there
South Kensington station, on the Piccadilly, Circle and District lines, connects to the museum by a pedestrian tunnel. Arrive a little before your slot so you are not rushing through the museum's main halls. For more holiday ideas nearby, see our guide to things to do around Knightsbridge.
