Zhejiang Museum of Natural History
The Zhejiang Museum of Natural History (浙江自然博物馆) is located at West Lake Culture Square in central Hangzhou. The museum displays natural history specimens including dinosaur fossils, minerals, and biological specimens from Zhejiang and the broader Yangtze region.
Hangzhou · museum.category.natural museum2026-10-18
Quick Answer
Is Zhejiang Museum of Natural History worth visiting?
Hangzhou's natural history museum at West Lake Culture Square — dinosaurs, fossils, minerals, and the biology of Zhejiang's unique ecosystems. Free. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
Quick facts
| Category | museum.category.natural |
|---|---|
| Ticket | Free. Passport required. |
| Hours | 9:00-16:00. Closed Mondays. |
| Recommended duration | 1.5-2 hours. |
| Best time to visit | Year-round. Weekday mornings best. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 1 to West Lake Culture Square Station (西湖文化广场站), immediately adjacent to the museum. |
| English signage | Partial |
Why visit
A good family museum at West Lake Culture Square with dinosaur exhibits and natural history specimens. The dinosaur hall is popular with children.
Collection highlights
- Dinosaur fossil hall — skeletons and fossils from Zhejiang dinosaur sites
- Mineral and gem gallery — geological specimens from Zhejiang and China
- Zhejiang ecosystem displays — dioramas of Zhejiang's natural environments
Tips
- Combine with the China National Silk Museum and West Lake in a full day
- Good for families with children interested in dinosaurs
Frequently asked questions
Is Zhejiang Museum of Natural History the same as Zhejiang Museum?
No — Zhejiang Museum (浙江省博物馆) in Hangzhou is the main provincial history/culture museum on the shore of West Lake. Zhejiang Museum of Natural History (浙江省自然博物馆) is at West Lake Culture Square in central Hangzhou and focuses on natural sciences including dinosaurs, fossils, and geology. Allow 2-3 hours.
What is the connection between this museum and West Lake?
The museum sits at West Lake Culture Square, roughly 3 km from West Lake's north shore (断桥残雪 area) — take Metro Line 1 three stops to Longxiang Bridge station for the lake. Hangzhou's West Lake is free to visit.
Is Zhejiang Museum of Natural History good for children?
Yes — the dinosaur fossil hall and the biological specimen galleries are particularly popular with children. The dinosaur skeletons and fossil displays are the biggest draw. Allow 2 hours. English signage is partial — an audio guide (¥40) or guided tour is helpful for non-Chinese speakers. The museum is open 9:00-16:00, closed Mondays, free entry with passport.
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Other things to do in Hangzhou
Grand Canal (Hangzhou Section)
The 1,776 km Grand Canal's southern terminus — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014 — runs through Hangzhou as a working waterway past the 1631-built Gongchen Bridge and free museums.
Hangzhou Museum
Hangzhou's local-history museum, holding nearly 30,000 relics and the Warring States crystal cup (15.4 cm) as its treasure; free, 09:00-16:30, closed Mondays.
Hefang Street (Near West Lake)
Qinghefang is Hangzhou's most famous old street — 1,000-plus years since the Southern Song, free to enter, a 10-minute walk from Metro Line 1, lined with century-old shops like Hu Qingyu Tang.
Hefang Street
Hangzhou's most historic antique-style shopping street, about 1800 m of Ming, Qing and Republican buildings; free entry, shops 09:00-22:00, 10 minutes from Ding'an Road metro.
Leifeng Pagoda
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow, one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake and home of the White Snake legend. CNY 40 buys the climb for sweeping lake views and the excavated underground palace.
Lingyin Temple
Hangzhou's oldest temple, founded in the Eastern Jin dynasty, still thronged with worshippers and rich in precious stone carvings. Combo ticket for Feilai Peak and Yongfu Temple CNY 75.
Longjing Tea Plantation
The heartland of West Lake Longjing tea, home to the 18 Imperial Tea Trees honored by Emperor Qianlong. Wander the tea fields free of charge and taste tea at the source.
Meiling Tunnel Trail
A classic Hangzhou hiking route linking Lingyin with Meijiawu by way of the Meiling Tunnel — about 8 km of quiet woodland and fine tea-terrace scenery.
Putuoshan Island
Buddhist island sacred to Guanyin — 3 major temples, 33 m golden statue. Ferry ¥160 round-trip from Zhoushan. Half-day minimum. Pilgrimage site with a serene coastal atmosphere.
Gongchen Bridge & Grand Canal
The Grand Canal's signature three-arch stone bridge in Hangzhou, built in 1631, with the Xiaohe Straight Street heritage quarter just west — free, and best explored on foot.
Six Harmonies Pagoda
A 60-meter Song-era pagoda on Yuelun Hill above the Qiantang River — 7 interior floors hiding behind 13 exterior eaves, climbable in about 90 minutes for a river-and-bridge view.
Southern Song Imperial Street
The central artery of the Southern Song capital Lin'an, carrying 1,000 years of history and a preserved underground road layer. Free to stroll, linked to Hefang Street, loveliest lit up at night.
Su Dongpo Memorial Hall
Memorial hall to poet Su Dongpo in Hangzhou, built in 2003 with about 2500 sqm of exhibits; free entry 09:00-16:30, closed Mondays, at the south end of the 2.8-km Su Causeway.
West Lake
Hangzhou's defining lake — 6.38 sq km ringed by 15 km of shore, free to all, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011. Boats from CNY 55; Metro Line 1 to Longxiang Bridge. Allow 4-8 hours.
Xiang Lake Park
Hangzhou's second great lake and West Lake's 'sister' — about 5 sq km of water and a 15 km cycling loop. Free entry; the Kuahuqiao museum covers an 8,000-year-old culture. Allow 3-5 hours.
West Lake Musical Fountain
Free nightly shows at 19:30 and 20:30 at the Hubin gardens on West Lake in Hangzhou; the 126-m fountain has 333 jets, so arrive early for a spot.
Xixi National Wetland Park
China's first national wetland park — 11.5 sq km of reed beds, lotus ponds, and persimmon groves threaded by water lanes, about 20 minutes west of West Lake.
Museums in Hangzhou
China National Silk Museum
The world's largest silk museum. Live silkworms, weaving demonstrations on 19th-century looms, and 2,000-year-old Silk Road textiles. Free. Hangzhou's most underrated museum.
China National Tea Museum
China's only national-level tea museum, set among actual Longjing tea plantations in Hangzhou. Tea ceremony demonstrations, 1,000+ tea artifacts, and fresh Longjing at the source. Free.
Hangzhou Museum
West Lake cultural history from Neolithic Liangzhu through Southern Song imperial glory. Free entry near Hefang Street. Celadon ceramics and Song Dynasty urban life. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
National Archives of Publications and Culture — Hangzhou Branch (Wenrun Ge)
China's newest national "version" repository, opened July 2022 in a 100,000 sqm hillside complex beside the Liangzhu Ancient City ruins in Hangzhou's Yuhang district.
West Lake Museum
China's first museum devoted to a single lake — West Lake's geology, 2,000 years of dredging and poetry, the Ten Scenes, and the 2011 UNESCO inscription. Free. On the lake's south shore.
Zhejiang Museum
Zhejiang's premier museum at the foot of West Lake — Neolithic archaeology (Hemudu, Liangzhu), Longquan celadon, and Hangzhou's Southern Song history. Free; 3–4 hours.
Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Liangzhu Neolithic jade (5,000-year-old ritual cong and bi), the world's finest celadon ceramics, and Southern Song imperial artifacts — on the shore of West Lake. Free.