Darwin's Landscape Laboratory bid for World Heritage Site

On January 30th the Department for Culture Media and Sport put forward Darwin's Landscape Laboratory to UNESCO as the UK's 2009 World Heritage Site nomination.

The Home of Charles Darwin, Down House

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We will be open on Tuesday November 24th to celebrate Origin Day - the 150th anniversary of the publication of one of the most groundbreaking works of all time: Charles Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’.

Celebrating the bicentenary of Charles Darwin's birth in 2009 - new exhibition, now open!

Join us in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the world's most eminent scientists, Charles Darwin. It was at Down House that Darwin lived with his devoted family for 40 years, and it was here he researched and wrote his most famous and explosive of works, On the Origin of Species.

Visit our brand new exhibition, Uncovering Origins, which charts the progression of Darwin's ideas and the controversy they provoked. Enjoy new interactive multimedia tours narrated by David Attenborough and Andrew Marr, covering both the family rooms and, for the first time ever, the extensive gardens known as Darwin's 'outdoor laboratory'. Also experience what life at sea was like as Darwin's epic 5-year voyage is vividly brought to life with a full-scale replica of his cramped cabin on board HMS Beagle.

To plan your visit follow the links on the left, where you can also take a virtual tour of Darwin's atmospheric study.