Opinion on best natural history museum for kids?

Well if you're planning on stopping in Venice, the natural history museum there is a lot of fun. We wandered in one day and spent a few happy hours there.

I haven't actually been, but have read about the science museum in Trento, Italy (MUSE). Looks pretty great.

The one in London near the Victoria & Albert Museum was really good - I'd rank it up there with NYC's Museum of Natural History.

For my money and the ones our kids really enjoyed, the Natural History Museum in London.

The Natural History Museum in Oxford is really good! It's in an old Victorian-era building with soaring ceilings, decorative steel beams, glass ceilings. It's pretty classic British collecting at it's best! They have a very large collection of taxidermy from all over the world as well as a nice group of dino fossils. Check out images on Google and you'll get the idea pretty quickly.

Both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum in London - a couple minutes walk from the South Kensington tube stop on the District and Piccadilly Lines and across from the V&A and right next to each other - are extremely hands on for kiddoes. Google them and see if they aren't exactly what you are looking for. More dinosaurs in the NHM than you can count. Lots and lots and lots of space stuff at the SM. The V&A has all sorts of stuff for big kids as well as littke and medium sized ones.

The price is right, too. They are all completely free.

The just below street level tunnel with its interesting walls and buskers, to say nothing of echoes can be a real find for kiddoes, and if it is raining it keeps you dry, too.

I will agree with all who mentioned the Natural History Museum in London. While I didn't go myself, my kids took my grandkids (ages 10 and 9) and spent the entire day. They had a wonderful time and talk about it still-several years later!

If you'll be in Paris, you may want to check out the Natural History Museum there. It's in the 5th, adjacent to the Jardin des Plantes. Also close by is the Grand Mosque of Paris, a good stop for tea and and a snack-this is a nice area to spend a few hours in.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187147-d189241-Reviews-National_Museum_of_Natural_History-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Don't miss the mummy section in the British Museum. I think they would really like that. They also have THE Rosetta Stone, which is a fairly recent discovery and allowed us to now read Egyptian hieroglyphs.

With kids that age, the London Natural History Museum would be at the top of my list.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

The dinosaur exhibit is fantastic. And you can even arrange a sleepover among the beasts!

It is great that this museum is free, as you will want more than one visit.

The Deutsches Museum in Munich is also a favorite of mine, but it is mostly history/technology/culture ( love the old musical instruments) with many signs in German only, and an admission price.

Deutsches Museum is excellent. But a major renovation project has just begun at the main campus on Museuminsel, that will last several years and will close about half of the major exhibits at any given time.

The closure will not affect the Verkehrszentrum (ground transportation) and Flugwerft Schleißheim (aviation) campuses, however. Aircraft that were on display at the main campus (except the large Junkers Ju.52) are being moved to Flugwerft Schleißheim for display during the renovation project.

A half day at Greenwich would probably be enjoyed by kids, and adults too. Fabulous looks at early timepieces used on ships, a technology that transformed shipping; also the Meridian and the Cutty Sark-pretty touristy but worthwhile, imo. Take one of the Thames Clipper's for a fun quick ride to Greenwich.

Yes, there are some great museums in Greeenwich-obviously! ;-)