The Natural History Museum in Plovdiv was established based on an exceptionally rich and diverse exhibition, which was housed in the former French college St. Augustin – Le college St. Augustin, Philipopol, which existed until the mid-19th century.

The museum opened its doors in the building of the former municipality on the 5th September, 1955. Since its opening, it has attracted great public interest, which we continue to enjoy to this day.

The building was one of the most emblematic constructions for the city in the last century. It housed the administration of the Municipality of Plovdiv from 1880 to 1951, and today it is a monument of culture of national significance.

The dome of the museum, where the “Tropic” hall is located, was part of the original building of the Plovdiv Municipality, after which it was removed in 1912 during the restructuring of the building according to a project by the famous architect Yosif Schnitter. The dome was restored in 2015, and since 2017 it has been home to beautiful species of live tropical butterflies that fly freely among the jungle with real plants from the southern regions.

The ground floor houses a valuable and interesting collection divided into 9 halls – “Foyer,” “Minerals” and a digital 3D Planetarium, “Botany,” “Dinosaurs,” Exhibition Hall, “Invertebrates,” “Amphibians and Reptiles,” “Birds,” and “Mammals.”

The underground floor, for the most part, is designed as a cave with attractive marine and freshwater aquariums, terrariums, exhibition halls “Fish” and “Paleontology.”