Shanghai Natural History Museum (上海自然博物馆)
Museum · Jing’an · Shanghai. Dinosaurs, an African savanna walk-through and 11,000 specimens in a spiral 'green snail'.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/shanghai-natural-history-museum · Data checked 2026-10-02 · Rendered for 2026-10-03 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Notices in effect
- 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-03: National Day: open 1–3 October, 09:00–20:00. The dated holiday notice does not give last admission; confirm your selected session. These arrangements do not resolve conflicting regular schedules after 7 October.
- 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-03: Extended opening 09:00–20:00, 1–3 Oct 2026.
- 2026-10-01 to 2026-10-03: 1–3 Oct 2026: open 09:00–20:00.
Why go
This is Shanghai's big natural-history museum, a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, set inside Jing'an Sculpture Park (静安雕塑公园). Ten permanent galleries show over 11,000 specimens and models from seven continents, from dinosaur skeletons to a walk-in African savanna. Tickets are cheap (¥30), and it works well on a rainy day or with children.
What to do
- Meet the dinosaurs on L1. The 'River of Life' hall (生命长河) on L1 is the most popular room, with large dinosaur skeletons and a long line-up of more than 200 animals 'gathered across time'. One guide suggests a wide photo from L2, then a close-up from the L1 entrance.
- Walk into the African savanna. On B2, 'Ecosystems' (生态万象) has a 1,500 m² walk-in reconstruction of the African savanna with life-size animals, plus 26 classic habitat dioramas called 'Windows of Nature' (自然之窗).
- See moving dinosaurs on B1. B1 'Evolution' (演化之道) has animatronic dinosaur models that move and roar, a favourite photo stop for families.
- Watch a short theatre show. Five immersive theatres replay events such as the Big Bang and an 'Escape from the Cretaceous' (逃出白垩纪). Book theatre seats on the museum website or at the museum; the 4D cinema costs ¥30 per film.
- Look at the building. The building spirals up out of the park like a 'green snail' (绿螺), with a planted roof and a sunken courtyard garden of 160 plant species around five pools.
- Don't miss: The live-animal area (about 300 m²) where children can get close to living insects and reptiles.
- Best time: Weekday mornings; avoid weekends and school holidays
- Skip if: Skip it if you have already seen a major natural-history museum at home and have only two or three days in Shanghai.
Practical details
- Hours: 09:00–17:00 · closed Tue
- Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun: 09:00–17:00, last entry 16:00
- Sat: 09:00–20:00, last entry 19:00
- Usually closed: Tue
- The weekly closing day moved from Monday to Tuesday on 1 Mar 2026; older pages and travel sites still say Monday.
- Saturday evening opening to 20:00 (last entry 19:00) started 7 Feb 2026; the notice gives no end date.
- The holiday notice does not give a last-entry time for 1–7 Oct.
- The current visitor page lists only 09:00–17:00; Saturday evening opening is in a February 2026 notice but is not repeated there.
- Admission: Ticketed · ¥30 adult
- Adult (18+): ¥30 (All open days)
- 4D cinema (per film, children pay full price): ¥30 — Six films a day, 10:00–16:00; the day's schedule is posted at the cinema.
- Concession: Aged 60–69 ¥25 (Valid ID)
- Concession: Children over 1.3 m and full-time students up to undergraduate ¥12 (Student card)
- Free: Aged 70+ (Valid ID)
- Free: Children 1.3 m or shorter, or aged 6 and under (Valid ID)
- Free: Visitors with disabilities (Valid certificate)
- Free visitors also need a booking for a time slot.
- Whether foreign senior or student documents qualify for concessions is not stated.
- Booking: Book online · sales open 7 days ahead
- SSTM / Natural History / Astronomy tickets (上海科技馆自然博物馆天文馆门票) — WeChat → search 上海科技馆自然博物馆天文馆门票 → 上海自然博物馆 → date and slot
- Museum website ticketing (上海自然博物馆官网 网上售票) — https://www.snhm.org.cn/cgfw/wssp.htm
- Shanghai Natural History Museum official account (上海自然博物馆) — WeChat → search 上海自然博物馆 official account → ticket menu
- Trip.com (携程国际版) — https://us.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/shanghai/shanghai-natural-history-museum-76790/ · passport: yes
- Passport accepted: yes — The museum's ticket notice tells foreign visitors to bring the original passport used for booking; a May 2026 visitor also showed passports at the entrance.
- One ticket per ID per day; you choose a morning (09:00–12:30) or afternoon (12:30–16:00) entry slot.
- The slot times come from the 2020 notice; current slot names in the mini-program were not checked.
- One August 2026 visitor reports an in-person counter purchase after online sell-out; the published booking route is online.
- A 13 May 2026 city listing says regular tickets open 7 days ahead excluding visit day; a 2 Jul summer list counted 7 days including it for Jul–Aug Saturday evenings.
- Last admission: 16:00 on regular days
- Time to allow: 3–4 hr
- Getting there: Line 13 · Natural History Museum station
- Metro Line 13 to Natural History Museum (自然博物馆), about 2 min walk
- Metro Line 1 to Xinzha Road (新闸路), Exit 1, about 7 min walk
- Metro Line 2 to West Nanjing Road (南京西路), Exit 2, about 9 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 上海自然博物馆，静安区北京西路510号（静安雕塑公园内）
- Map: Apple Maps · Amap 高德
- No public car park at the museum; use public transport.
- A visitor reported Line 13 Exit 1; the museum names the station but not an exit. The two-minute walk is an editorial map estimate.
- Address: 510 West Beijing Road, Jing’an district (北京西路510号), inside Jing’an Sculpture Park.
- Foreign visitors: Bring the passport used to book
Not found yet
- hours.rules[1]: A February 2026 announcement lists Saturday 09:00–20:00, while the current visitor page lists only 09:00–17:00; XHS holiday posts did not confirm ordinary Saturdays. (searched: official visitor page, government notice, Xiaohongshu handoff)
- transport.metro[0].exit: The museum does not specify a Line 13 exit; the handoff summary mentions two XHS posts but its exit-specific answer cites only one author and a Dianping listing. (searched: official visitor page, Trip.com individual post, Xiaohongshu handoff, Dianping listing)
- foreignVisitors.english.signage: The purchase page and cited passport review do not document English labels; no two recent independent reports were verified. (searched: official visitor pages, Trip.com individual review, Xiaohongshu handoff)
Traveler tips
- It now closes on Tuesdays. Since March 2026 the Shanghai Natural History Museum (上海自然博物馆) closes every Tuesday, not Monday, except on public holidays. Many travel sites and the museum's own English page still say 'closed Monday', so a Monday visit is fine and Tuesday is not. source
- Book a slot before you go. Tickets are sold online by name, for one date and one entry slot, up to 7 days before the visit, excluding the visit day. In WeChat search the mini-program 上海科技馆自然博物馆天文馆门票, or use the museum website. Each ID can buy one ticket per day and three per month, and children and seniors who enter free still need a booking. Caveat: A July–August 2026 Saturday evening list counted seven days including the visit day; check the current booking calendar for special sessions and returned tickets. source
- Carry the passport you booked with. The museum's ticket notice says foreign visitors must bring the original passport whose number was used to buy the ticket, and the name and number must match. A British couple who visited in May 2026 confirm they had to show their passports at the entrance. If you booked through Trip.com, bring the same passport. source
- Take Line 13 to the door. Line 13 has its own station named Natural History Museum (自然博物馆). A June 2026 visitor took Exit 1 and walked about 2 minutes to the museum. From Line 1 use Xinzha Road (新闸路) Exit 1, or from Line 2 West Nanjing Road (南京西路) Exit 2, and walk through Jing'an Sculpture Park. There is no public car park. Caveat: The exit number comes from one visitor post. source
- Go on a weekday morning. Weekends and school holidays are busy with families. A Singapore visitor who came early on a Sunday in December 2025 found it got crowded as the morning went on, and an Italian visitor in September 2025 found it 'well laid out' but full of people. Book the first morning slot on a weekday if you can. Caveat: A February 2026 notice announced Saturday evenings, but the current visitor page does not repeat them; the National Day notice gives no holiday last-entry time. (4 travelers) source
- Start at the top, work down. The galleries spread over five levels: L2 'Origins' (起源之谜), L1 'River of Life' dinosaurs (生命长河), B1 'Evolution' with moving dinosaur models (演化之道), the B2M 'Shanghai Story' (上海故事) mezzanine, and B2 with the African savanna, survival and biodiversity halls. Recent visitors suggest starting on L2 and walking down to dodge the crowd at the L1 entrance. Caveat: The gallery order comes from the museum; starting upstairs to avoid the L1 crowd is a visitor route suggestion. (2 travelers) source
- Book the theatres and 4D film. The Big Bang theatre (宇宙大爆炸剧场) and the Escape from the Cretaceous theatre (逃出白垩纪剧场) need a booking on the museum website or at the museum. The 4D cinema shows six short films a day between 10:00 and 16:00, ¥30 each; children pay full price, and toddlers are not admitted. source
- Fossil dig for small children. In the Exploration Center (探索中心) on B2, the 30-minute fossil dig is only for children 1.0–1.3 m tall, measured on site. All of the day's sessions open for booking at 08:35 on the museum website or WeChat account and go fast, so arrive 15 minutes early to check in. There are 3 sessions on weekdays and 4 at weekends and holidays. source
- Large-bag storage and visitor facilities. The Visitor Service Center in the 1F lobby stores large luggage. The museum says wheelchairs, strollers and walking sticks are lent free of charge. A September 2026 visitor says luggage storage was free; another reports drinking-water points. Food and open drinks are not allowed in the galleries. Caveat: The museum confirms large-bag storage but does not state its price; free storage comes from one visitor post. (2 travelers) source
- Ask about same-day counter help if sold out. The official instructions direct visitors to book online. One August 2026 visitor says the entrance counter sold a ticket after online slots were gone. Ask the desk about current availability before relying on this route. Caveat: One visitor report conflicts with the published online booking route; counter sales and passport handling are not confirmed. source
- Check extra-session booking after entry. Three recent visitors describe booking limited theatre and activity sessions in the museum WeChat account after passing the entry gate. They report releases around 09:15 and 13:00. Register visitor details before arrival and check the current in-app schedule at the gate. Caveat: The museum page separately gives an 08:35 release for fossil digging; these visitor times must not replace that rule. (3 travelers) source
Sources
- Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Municipal Government / Shanghai Release (published 2026-09-17)
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Municipal Government (published 2024-04-24)
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- Shanghai Natural History Museum
- 上海徐汇（徐汇区新闻办公室官方账号），公告落款上海自然博物馆 2026-02-03 (published 2026-02-04)
- Shanghai Municipal Government / 上海发布 (published 2026-09-17)
- 上海发布（上海奉贤转发，网易） (published 2026-07-02)
- TripAdvisor review shown on Trip.com · helenandpaul13 (published 2026-05-27)
- TripAdvisor review shown on Trip.com · windybeachyay (published 2025-12-30)
- TripAdvisor review shown on Trip.com · alessandropZ5291HQ (published 2025-09-30)
- Trip.com Moments · มินนี่มายยย (published 2026-06-15)
- Trip.com Moments · ไปกับอิงเบย์ (published 2026-08-29)
- Trip.com Moments · Anzhelika Sadykova (published 2026-06-08)
- 携程攻略 游记 (published 2023-11-30)
- 什么值得买 (published 2024-11-21)
- e眯天天天晴 (published 2026-09-10)
- 顺财小福团 (published 2026-10-01)
- 璟予山河 昱乎日月 (published 2026-08-24)
- 团团转一 (published 2026-08-01)
- Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (published 2026-05-13)