The Victorian naturalist and eccentric Edward Thomas Booth founded this museum in 1874 as a home for his extensive collection of stuffed birds. It has since expanded into a notable repository of animal skeletons, butterflies and other insects.
Booth's own avian taxidermy and dioramas make up the bulk of the main room exhibitions, with additional presentations of quirky Victoriana - there is even a 'genuine' stuffed merman on display. The skeleton room contains an excellent range of exhibits, from woodpeckers to whale bones. In total, there are over three-quarters of a million natural specimens held in the museum's collection.