The National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) will commemorate its 255th anniversary on October 17 and 18 with a program of free activities. On Sunday the 18th, museum entry will be free for all visitors. This event is part of the Science Neighborhood initiatives and marks the founding of the Royal Cabinet of Natural History, the origin of the current museum, on October 17, 1771, by King Carlos III.
During October, tickets will also go on sale for the program of activities aimed at adult audiences, seeking to offer a different experience of the MNCN. These proposals, which will continue through 2027, include Singular Routes, literary encounters on nature at La tejonera (the Museum's reading club), ecological gardening and biodiversity workshops at the Sala viva del MNCN, and the traditional night event, Darwin and Wallace Night, scheduled for February 2027.
Pilar López García-Gallo, Deputy Director of Communication and Scientific Culture at MNCN, expressed her pride in being part of one of the oldest natural science museums in the world. "For all of us, it is a pride to be part of history as one of the oldest natural science museums in the world. We have been celebrating this anniversary with visitors for five years as a way to share this legacy and bring them closer to our history, collections, and research work. Therefore, we have prepared a program of activities designed for all audiences," she stated.
The anniversary celebration activities will include a portable science laboratory (Curiosity Cube by the Merck group), micro-tours of the museum's halls led by volunteers from the Spanish Confederation of Senior Citizens' Classrooms (CEATE), a puppet show for children, and a projection in an inflatable planetarium. Most activities are free, although some require prior reservation.
The detailed program for October 17 includes the portable laboratory from 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM. On October 18, a free admission day, the laboratory will be available during the same hours. Additionally, there will be a photocall on the facade (11:00 AM-2:30 PM), stands by curators and restorers (11:30 AM-1:30 PM), micro-tours (12:00 PM-1:45 PM), a puppet show (12:00 PM, 12:45 PM, and 1:30 PM), and planetarium projections on the formation of the Solar System (11:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 1:00 PM).
