As make-overs go, this £17m, three-year revamp of one of the city’s most beloved landmarks is a real stunner. Once inside the curious hybrid of 1960s concrete and neo-classical architecture, a gleaming 23m high atrium reveals glimpses into three specially created Zones covering four levels.
As you navigate the glass and steel walkways, keep an eye on the equally grand-scale Window on Our World gallery where iconic objects from each Zone – including a 6m long Edmontosaurus dinosaur skeleton – further fuel the imagination.
Then spend the day exploring those History, Art and Nature Zones, where a bona fide Egyptian mummy, dazzling collection of Spanish Armada gold and Peter the Polar Bear (don’t worry, it’s stuffed) are among the myriad of unmissable attractions