Natural History

Various Galleries

From badgers to bustards to beetles, you can get closer to the natural world here at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery.

You will find our natural history collection spread amongst the ground floor and first floor galleries.

On the ground floor the Bird Gallery features British native and migratory birds from the late 19th to early 20th century. These taxidermy dioramas are stacked high offering visitors windows into the habitat of each bird.

Larger natural history dioramas, including visitor favourites the badgers and the Great Bustard, allows you to get up close with creatures you don’t often see. And don’t forget to look out for ‘Bed of Stone’, our taxidermy greyhound who was once a local celebrity, on display in our Skill and Labour Gallery.

The museum is home to thousands of Coleoptera Beetles from all over the world. Fans of these creepy crawlies will find this popular collection on display in the Hart Gallery. The collection was compiled by local industrialist Arthur C. Bowdler who donated the beetles to the museum in 1914.

From big to tiny, colourful to shiny these beetles have been entertaining Blackburn visitors for over 100 years. Find out more about them and how we use them below.

Bowdler’s Beetle Collection has been a visitor favourite for over a century and many will fondly remember them displayed at the top of the staircase.

To protect the beetles for the future we have moved them into the Hart Gallery where it is darker to protect them from the light. Every so often we may have to remove some of the beetle trays for a rest in our stores so check in advance if you are visiting to see a specific tray.

We offer regular chances for visitors to get up close to the beetles during the holidays and for schools we offer a Key Stage 1 Bugs session, find out more here.

Want to know more about the history of the beetle collection? Check out our story.

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