The National Museum of Natural History, located within the historic Palazzo Vilhena in Mdina, is one of Malta’s most beloved museums. It’s the place where students, tourists, and locals flock to if they wish to see tens of thousands of specimens of shells, birds, mammals, fish, and reptiles.
It’s of little wonder, therefore, that the museum’s Senior Curator, John J Borg, sought to celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary since its move to its current premises. To do so, the museum launched an exhibition of 50 black-and-white photographs, showcasing the main events that have shaped the institution.
Titled The National Museum of Natural History: 50 Years in Mdina, A Photographic Journey, the exhibition heads all the way back to 1973, when the museum officially opened to the public, and then meanders through the highs and lows it has faced in the subsequent 50 years. Complimenting the exhibition is an accompanying book by the same name.
Of course, while there, we also recommend checking out some of the museum’s many highlights, including a 4,000-year-old mummified crocodile from the river Nile, a flying squid, and the skull of a False Killer Whale Pseudorca crassidens.
The exhibition itself is on until Saturday, December 30, 2023, and is open 9am to 5pm Tuesday through to Sunday. Tickets cost €5 for adults, and €3.50 for seniors and students.