The Natural History Museum, Kathmandu, Bagmati Nepal

Natural history museum of Nepal is situated on the lap of Swayambhu stupa, a world heritage site in the west hillock of Kathmandu valley. Swayambhu hillock is itself a famous place not only in the context of the culture, religion and history of Kathmandu valley, but also equally famous place for the early plant hunters in Nepal.

3 km west of Kathmandu city behind the famous Swaymbhunath hillock. This museum has a unique collection of butterflies, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, plants and a variety of fossils collected within the country. Photography inside the museum is prohibited.

Before the establishment of the Natural History Museum (NHM), specimens collected by foreign scientific expeditions were allowed to be taken out of the country for lack of a proper repository facility in Nepal. As a consequence, much of the scientific research in the natural history of Nepal was done in other countries. Nepali scientists, students, and teachers had limited access to the information on their own country's natural inheritance.

The museum was established in 1975 with the objective of serving as a research and education facility in Nepal for foreign and Nepali scientists, students and teachers. The museum was built on the premises of the former Ananda Kuti Campus. Today, it houses about 40,000 zoological specimens, 7,000 botanical specimens, 400 fossils and 100 skeletons.