Sedgwick Museum of Geology, Cambridge

Nowhere else in Cambridge will you find a giant elk, the world's largest spider and dinosaurs, together in one room. The Sedgwick Museum's fossil collection has them all! Crystals and rocks of all colors under the sun, skeletons of creatures such as hippopotami that used to roam the area and one of Britain's oldest geological collections in original 17th-century walnut cabinets. Part of its charm is the antiquity of the museum itself. It was, and still is, a Victorian institution (gift shop aside). As you leave, look back at the building – the bears on the stair banisters, the marine dinosaur on the roof, what a treat! Wheelchair users are advised to telephone prior to visiting. The museum is closed between Christmas and New Year and over Easter.