National Museum of Natural History, Mdina

The National Museum of Natural History is a remarkable repository of biodiversity and historical artifacts. Housed within an elegant 18th-century palace, it boasts an extensive collection of nearly 1 million specimens, forming the National Biological Collections.

Visitors are immediately captivated by its extraordinary exhibits, which include a rare 1980s discovery of a Flying Squid washed ashore, a 4000-year-old mummified Nile crocodile from ancient Egypt, and the skull of a False Killer Whale and fossilized head of a Crocodilian species found in Gozo's rocks, shedding light on the region's diverse marine life.

The museum's true show-stopper is the tooth of the extinct Giant White Shark, Charcarocles megalodon, a reminder of the awe-inspiring creatures that once ruled the seas. The new Habitats hall showcases Malta's diverse ecosystems and their rich avian and faunal inhabitants.

Steeped in history, the palace served various purposes over the years before becoming the official National Museum of Natural History on 22nd June 1973. The museum's mission centers on the acquisition, display, and conservation of natural history specimens, with a focus on local flora and fauna.

The diverse display areas cover topics ranging from local biodiversity, geology, and paleontology to human evolution, marine fauna, insects, and shells. Each hall pays tribute to local natural historians who contributed significantly to the understanding of Malta's natural heritage.

Notably, the museum honors the late Joe Sultana, dedicating a room to the ecological importance of islands like Filfla and Fungus Rock. The L. Mizzi Hall showcases a fraction of Lewis Mizzi's mineral collection, offering insight into geology and mineralogy.