The Dead Zoo At Large (Until 11 April 2010)

Step back in time and savour the atmosphere of the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, reconstructed at a new venue. This temporary exhibition fills the gap left by the closure of the 1857 building on Merrion Street. A wide selection of the 10,000 exhibits from the Merrion Street museum has been brought back into the light. Old favourites include giant deer, Spoticus the giraffe and the families of badgers, foxes and otters.

Meet our new moose and zebra and see Ireland’s Moon rock. This stone was collected in 1972 as part of the final Apollo mission and is accompanied by meteorites. These space rocks include fragments of asteroids, of Mars and the Moon and visitors can touch a piece of our solar system dating back 4.5 billion years.

The exhibition area includes spaces to get to grips with the Museum’s zoological and geological collections. You may also comment on our ideas on the future of the Museum as we present our plans for the restoration of the ‘Dead Zoo’, so beloved of generations of visitors.

The Natural History Museum on Merrion Street will reopen on 29 April 2010. Exhibits from the 'Dead Zoo' temporary gallery will be returned to the Natural History Museum.

This exhibition will close at 5pm on Sunday 11 April 2010