Dinosaurs. That's why you come to the Natural History Museum. OK so the famous full scale Diplodocus cast (affectionately known as Dippie) never looks quite as big as it did when you were 8. And yes, it's true, large sections of the museum's catalogue are inaccessible unless you have a PhD in studying, say, Ordovician trilobites, or the profound differences between lichen and moss (bryology) or just some random bug most people would instinctively vaporise with Dettol.

And yet, in spite of this, the Natural History Museum - located on the corner of Cromwell Road and the aptly named Exhibition Road in South Kensington - remains simply one of the best museums ever created.

Nowadays live events take place every day at 12:30, with subjects from evolution and climate change, to biodiversity and space-travel. Visitors can ask questions, see specimens that are not normally on public display, and participate in video link-ups to laboratories and field work sites around the world. Watch out for evening events as well.

If you find yourself on the stairs you may also spot the vampire-like statue of Richard Owen, the 19th century paleontologist, founder of the museum and 'social experimenter with a penchant for sadism'. Addicted to controversy, driven by arrogance and jealousy he loathed, and was in turn hated by, the vast majority of leading scientists of his day. The most notable of these was Darwin, whose theory of evolution Owen spent much of the last quarter of his life unsuccessfully denouncing.

It is therefore slightly ironic that so much of the building he founded has been given over to an exhibition explaining the theory, while the new home for much of the collection (opened in 2008) is called the Darwin Centre.

All of which makes for a cute and serviceable anecdote if you're planning to take someone here on a date.

The Natural History Museum is one of Spoonfed's Best Museums in London. Click to see the full list.