Natural History Museum

About this place

The Natural History Museum in Ulaanbaatar is the place to see dinosaur skeletons from the Gobi Desert, alongside Mongolia's minerals and animals. It suits families and anyone planning a trip south, since it explains what you will later see in the desert. The building opened in 1974 and until recently was known as the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs. In August 2019 the Natural History Museum merged into it, after the old museum building was demolished and the Chinggis Khaan National Museum built in its place. Guides note that some collections have moved between institutions in recent years, so displays may differ. In the main hall a huge Tarbosaurus skeleton stands beside a Saurolophus, surrounded by skulls and skeletons of Protoceratops and Oviraptor and remarkable fossil remains. Other sections hold meteorites, minerals and stuffed animals from the country's habitats. Blue lighting in the hall makes the skeletons dramatic in photographs. It stands in Chingeltei District, about 1 km in a straight line from the city centre, so you can walk or take a short taxi ride. A 2025 visitor report gives hours of 9:00 to 17:30, so check before you go. Allow about an hour, or longer with children.